Back To You
by writingmom
Summary: Harm risks it all to find the woman that he loves as the two end up on an adventure with many twists and turns.
1. The Moment is Here

A/N: This is yet another spin off on the Paraguay incident and I have taken the liberty of omitting and adding certain details. It always bugged me that after Harm busted down the door to find her, they just went on like business as usual. So, this is my chance to show a slightly more vulnerable side to them both—no changing tires and bantering back and forth when the man just traveled thousands of miles to save the woman he loves!

Disclaimer: JAG and its characters do not belong to me. They are the property of DPB.

* * *

Mac was surprised and relieved to see Harm standing in the doorway with a gun in his hand. She had no idea how he had found her, but he just saved her life. The thought of the torture that she was about to endure quickly escaped her mind as he freed the rope from her ankles and wrists. She had so many questions. Her mind was racing. She just wanted to run far, far away from Sadiq and the entire nightmare that she and Webb had just experienced. How or why Harm had gotten there would have to be answered later.

Harm kept his hand protectively on the small of her back as they quickly exchanged words with Gunny and Webb. Mac was quiet, actually, as Harm thanked Gunny for his help and wished him well getting Webb to the hospital. He knew that she would want to get back to the hotel. He could read her like a book, and after all these years as partners together, he knew that whatever she had just gone through was more than she had bargained for.

His own mind was racing. The thought of arriving even a minute later just about made him sick. He couldn't go there. She was with him and safe and that was all that mattered.

He helped her in to the truck and closed the door. Looking straight ahead, he could see that she was trying not to cry. He sat behind the wheel and placed one hand over hers as a small gesture of comfort.

"Hey," He said. "Let's get you back to the hotel."

She looked at him and smiled a small smile. Her tough Marine façade was quickly fading. She felt so safe with Harm. Maybe she had never realized it until now. She squeezed his hand in response, and didn't let go the entire ride to the hotel.

Once inside the room, Mac looked around almost nervously. "I think I'm going to take a bath." A long, hot soak in the tub was always the way that she dealt with stress at home. The fact that she hadn't bathed in days made the idea even more appealing.

She closed the door to the bathroom and quickly rid herself of the filthy clothes that were unwanted reminders of the entire incident. Throwing them into the trash can, she stepped carefully in to the tub where warm water and bubbles surrounded her sore and tired body. Sadiq had not been gentle with her. He had slapped her in the face more than once and shoved her down several times as well.

She closed her eyes and let out a long, cleansing breath. Never had a bath felt so good in all her life. Mac completely lost track of time. Knocking gently on the bathroom door, Harm leaned in. "Hey. Thought you might have drowned in here." He smiled politely, looking only at her face. She made no attempt to cover herself with bubbles, even though little could be seen. There was a comfortable feeling between the two, an unspoken line had been crossed and for once, neither questioned the progress.

In his hand, Harm held out one of his oxford shirts. She looked at it and immediately he was reminded of why he came in. "I thought you might want something clean to put on." He laid it gently on the chair beside him. Her gaze lingered and he was finding it difficult to leave. She nodded in appreciation. In her hurry to shed her clothes, she didn't stop to consider that she had no clothes to wear. Leave it to Harm to think of the small things.

He kept staring at her. Suddenly self-conscious, she looked down. "I uh, forgot how beautiful you are." He knew that he had stared a little too long, and felt no shyness in revealing why. He smiled a reassuring smile again before closing the door behind him. This man was a mystery to her. His simple gestures and surprising words felt like home to her. She slowly felt the tension fade.

Drying herself off and stepping out of the tub, she welcomed the feel of a clean shirt. It was crisp and white and fell just above her knees. She buttoned it loosely and rolled up the sleeves. Pulling her hair into a messy pony tail, she took a long hard look at herself in the mirror. She felt like she had aged five years in the last week. Admonishing any thoughts of self criticism before they began, she quickly flipped off the light and walked in to the room where Harm stood looking out the window.

He turned when he heard her enter. "Feel better?" He asked, trying not to reveal the growing intensity that was welling up inside of him at the mere sight of her.

"Yes. Thanks."

Unsure of what to do next, but again not over-thinking his actions, he stepped forward to where she stood. He happened to look at her arm as she messed with the sleeve and notice a large bruise that he had not seen before.

"Holy--" Without thinking he lifted her arm and began rubbing it gently. "That bastard." He said, almost inaudibly.

"It's o.k. I'm o.k." She replied. Playing the victim was not a role that she welcomed. This was uncharted territory for her, and she didn't like it that she felt vulnerable.

"Come here." He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly in a hug that spoke volumes.He had wanted to pull her in to his arms the minute he freed her from the table but couldn't. This felt good. He held her as much for his own benefit as for hers and they both knew it. He gently rubbed her back and her hair, taking in as much of her as he could without scaring her. She allowed herself to be held by him and to let him lead with whatever words he needed to say.

Finally breaking the embrace, he placed some distance between them and almost apologetically said, "I'm glad you're o.k."

"Thanks to you." She countered.

They stared at each other for a moment, their eyes searching for more, inviting the other one to take the next step. "Why don't we sit down?" He took her hand and led her to the couch.

He sat on the end of the couch with one arm stretched out to the side. She sat right against him as he had hoped, and he dropped his arm to cradle her even closer to him. She tucked her legs up beside her on the couch. This simple gesture revealed that she felt comfortable with him right now. He didn't know what to expect with this Marine after what she'd seen. She could have screamed or just said nothing at all in an attempt to stifle her emotions. The fact that she had welcomed his touch was encouraging.

She rubbed her hands over one another in her lap as if trying to find some place for them to go. She didn't want to be the first one to begin. As if on cue, Harm took the lead. "Do you want to talk about it?" He was gentle and unassuming once more, still holding her closely and yet not as tightly as he wanted.

"I don't know. I mean, I'm not sure if I'm ready to process it all."

He was quiet, making sure to give her enough time to continue if she wanted.

"What about you, I mean, why don't you tell me how you found us?" She diverted the subject somewhat and yet proved that she did want to talk.

Harm rubbed his chin with hisother hand. He knew that he would have to explain his resignation to her, but he didn't know how or when or more importantly, what her reaction would be. "Well, I don't know. I mean, I guess you could call it luck." _Or fate_. He thought to himself.

Curious, she repositioned herself on the couch so that she was facing him. "Luck? What do you mean?"

_O.k., Rabb. Looks like this is it._ He took a deep breath and once he stopped rubbing his chin, he took one of her hands in his. He hoped that what he was about to say didn't send her in to a rage, but he had to take the chance. It was now or never, he could feel it. For years he had wondered if the moment would ever be right for them, and if he would know it when he saw it. After Sydney, he swore not to ever back down from this discussion again.

"Harm?" She could tell that something was brewing in his mind.

He let out a small laugh, although they both knew that there was no humor in what he wanted to say. "I had a bad feeling about all of this from the beginning." She looked down, remembering his words before she left his apartment. "I don't want you to go." He had said.

He continued. "The nightmares came right away. I could see you, and Webb—" She could tell that this was difficult for him." He took another breath. "And then when the Admiral told me that you'd gone missing…that was it. I knew I had to find you."

Something in his last sentence told her that his presence there wasn't what she had thought it to be. "Harm, what do you mean? What are you saying?" She pulled back to get a better look at him, yet never removed her hand from his. His thumb began nervously gliding over her fingers as the conversation progressed. He looked down at their hands as if looking for the courage that he needed to just say it.

Finally, he looked her in the eyes and said, "I resigned, Mac. I quit my job to find you."

TBC


	2. Closing the Distance

Mac was stunned; completely speechless and overcome with emotion. She didn't know what to say. Harm continued rubbing his thumb over her fingers because he didn't know what else to do. Now he was at a loss for words. Mac's support had been so valuable to him through the years because not many women could understand his love for his job. She knew it. She saw it. She understood it. And now? For her to hear that he'd just given it all up…he knew that it wouldn't make sense, and might even make her very mad.

Finally, he broke the silence. "Mac, say something. No, actually, don't. Just hear me out." He looked at her intently and finally stopped moving his hand. "I have never had the feeling that I had when you were gone. I knew. I just knew that something was terribly wrong, probably before it even happened. The fear and the dread in the pit of my stomach—" He was baring all now and there was no turning back. "I never want to feel that again." 

Her face softened somewhat, and he continued. "You and I, we've been dancing around the issue of 'us' for a long time now. I've been a coward. I've been waiting for a sign or a guarantee or hell, lights in the sky to spell it out for me. When I watched you walk out of my apartment that night, I felt it. I felt the reality of my feelings for you, only they didn't come with a guarantee. Instead, I felt scared. I felt like you were leaving me and I may never have the chance to see you or to—I can't explain it, Mac, I'm sorry. But when the Admiral wouldn't let me leave to come here, I did the only thing that I could. I resigned my commission. I did it, and I'm not sorry."

Tears began to form in her eyes. She didn't want them there, not now, so she willed them not to fall. Never in a million years would she have written this script for her life. She looked forward to the day when Harm would open up about his feelings, and yet for him to give up his job, his career, his life…how could she ever shoulder that weight?

"I…I don't know what to say, Harm. I'm sorry, mainly. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you and that I got myself in this mess and that—"

"Wait, a minute, Mac, don't even go there. You didn't get yourself in to this mess. Webb did and you know it. You were just doing your job. You had no idea that it could have turned out like this, with a nut like Sadiq."

"I knew that it would be dangerous." 

"You could have never known that it would escalate to this proportion."

"Still, I should have taken this assignment for all the right reasons. I should have examined my motives a little more closely."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I was lured in by the excitement of it all, Harm. The chance to be a part of something bigger again. I wanted that. You and I, we love our j—" She stopped herself. "I love my job, but sometimes I want more than what lies between the courtroom walls. That's why I'm a Marine, I guess. It's silly, I know, but I wanted it. I wanted the danger and the excitement and most of all, I wanted to prove that I've still got it, to Webb, to the Admiral, to myself and…" she took a deep breath. "To you." She looked down at their hands, joined tenderly together.

This Marine was always full of surprises. Harm cursed himself for not having this sort of conversation with her sooner. She was opening up, probably like she would have loved to have done so many times in the past. And truth be told, it wasn't even that painful for him. To be honest and open with Mac, to share their feelings like this…it seemed completely natural. But her last statement caught him off guard.

"Me? Mac, why would you need to prove yourself to me of all people?" He was almost hurt by the thought. Now his hands were acting on their own again and he reached up to softly remove a hair from her face. It wasn't even noticeable, and yet he wanted an excuse to touch her more.

"I don't know. I mean, your friendship has been my rock for so long. I guess deep down I've always felt inferior to you. That's my own issue, I know. Believe me, I know that you support me and encourage me and I've been so thankful for that. But I don't know. I guess I just always wanted you to see more in me."

"More, why?"

Now it was Mac's turn to process where she was about to go in this conversation. She had put herself out there before, in Sydney, and she swore she'd never do that again; that he would have to be the one to start the discussion. Now that he had, she was nervous. Sure, Harm hadn't been an open book all these years, afraid of love and loss, but she hadn't exactly been noble in her relationship choices, either. This was her opportunity to turn the corner, to change the momentum. She hesitated for a moment, and then it all became clear. When she looked back up at him, she saw nothing but sincerity. She had never been cared for by a man like this in all her life. This was trust.

"Because in the back of my mind, I felt like whatever I was doing with you wasn't enough. Enough as friends, I mean, but not enough for you…to love me." Once the words came out of her mouth, she let out a barely there gasp. She couldn't believe that she had just said that. In fact, she didn't even really know that she had _felt_ that until the words were expressed. This honest conversation technique was new territory for her as well, and it was frighteningly helpful.

Harm moaned. "Oh, Mac, damnit." His hands were now both covering her face and his emotions were bordering on overload. "I never wanted you to think that you weren't enough. In fact, it's just the opposite in my eyes. When I look at you and what you've done with your life…you took some pretty bad circumstances and turned them in to something good. Something damn good. And me? I'm still wallowing in my fear and my grief, afraid to take chances with people. Afraid to let people in. You were right, you know. On the Admiral's porch. I do make simple things complicated."

They both let out a small laugh, a welcome break in the intensity.

"So, what now?" She dared.

He stared at her long and lovingly.

"Now, we move forward."

It was a simple statement loaded with possibility and promise. Of course there would be more to discuss and Mac still had to fight the urge to kick his six for resigning, but she understood his reasons now. The trauma of the last week was still fresh in her mind, but right now, the closing distance between their faces was definitely taking priority. She kept her eyes open as if not wanting to miss a thing. They leaned in slowly, savoring the moment. His lips barely brushed hers in a gentle prelude.

"I love you Sarah Mackenzie."

TBC


	3. Comfort Zone

Mac wanted to melt. Never in her life had she felt like this, experienced this sort of feeling emotionally or physically. Before she had a chance to respond, Harm's kiss grew deeper and moved from loving to intense. So many bottled up feelings and unexpressed actions were released in this long, beautiful kiss.

There was no awkwardness between them. No embarrassing moment or worry about what the other was thinking. They were finally acting on raw emotion and it couldn't have felt better. Harm's hands pulled Mac closer until she was sitting on top of him; his hands moving protectively and territorially over her entire backside. It was as if she'd been his forever. She moaned softly as the realization of the moment crept in to her mind. Her hands did their own exploration of his arms, neck, shoulders and waist. The passion was definitely escalating and both felt as if they would burst. This man's body was more than she imagined it to be. Harm was gorgeous by any woman's standards, but the true Harmon Rabb Jr. had just revealed himself to her, Sarah Mackenzie.

With neither expressing the need for air, the passionate, affirmative kiss lingered on until there was a knock at the door. Ignoring it at first, the knock became louder and louder. "Sir, maam. It's Victor."

The kiss was broken at the sound of his voice, and both took a moment to level their breathing. Mac looked at Harm and smiled, wiping a small amount of moisture from the corner of his mouth.

He smiled in return, and stood with her hand in his. She followed closely behind, aware that she lacked appropriate attire. When Harm finally let Victor in, she remained close to Harm, their hands never leaving one another's, an action that was not lost on Gunny.

"I'm… sorry… to interrupt." He paused between words and tried not to stare at the Colonel.

"It's o.k., Gunny. We're glad to see you. What's the latest?" Harm said, closing the door behind him and then squeezing Mac's hand in his.

"Mr. Webb is going to be o.k. The doctors think that they'll move him in the next day or two, but I'm not sure where. The Company is aware that he's alive and he's given them a briefing." He hesitated to continue.

"Gunny, what is it? Whatever you have to say, it's o.k." Harm coaxed.

Victor looked at Harm, still hesitant. He then looked at Mac.

"I uh, I think I need to excuse myself for a minute if that's o.k." She could see that Gunny wanted privacy, and even though she was dying to know what he had to say, she decided to leave the men in peace. She looked up at Harm whose expression was easily read. "Thanks. It's o.k. I'll fill you in when he leaves" were words that she didn't hear him say, but that were written all over his face.

When Mac closed the door to the bathroom, she could hear their voices speaking in almost a whisper. She tried to make out the words, but couldn't hear enough to piece anything together. It felt like thirty minutes before Harm yelled for her to come out. When she did, the look of concern on his face was obvious.

She walkedover to where he stood. He placed his hands on her shoulders and said, "We have to get out of here. Tonight."

TBC!


	4. Objects in the Mirror

Harm hurriedly threw clothes in to his suitcase. "Here. Change in to these." He threw a small duffel bag at her that Gunny had been holding when he walked in. Confused but following Harm's lead, she dumped the clothes out on to the bed and began to change. She didn't stop to think that she was completely exposed in front of Harm, although Harm couldn't help but admire the sight before him. She was a vision of beauty. He had seen her in drab Marine green, in civilian clothes and in a white silk nightgown but never could he have imagined her like this. 

Trying to regain his focus, he slammed the suitcase shut and continued with his explanation. "Sadiq and his men are in the area. They assume that Webb is dead, but they know that we got you out of there. He's mad as hell, to put it mildly. Gunny said that the word on the street is that you're with a tall American, so he's offering to spare the life of anyone who brings you back to him. We can't stay here. It's not safe. In fact, the manager has probably already told him we're here." 

Mac stopped buttoning her pants for a moment to allow his words to sink in. The nightmare wasn't over. Harm continued. "Gunny is on his way to the border, but you and I can't go with him. We're too much of a liability. He left a car in the alley for us. There's a little farm about fifteen miles from here, with a plane." Harm stared at her, hoping that she understood what he was saying.

"We're going to steal a plane."

He nodded.

"Harm, we can't do this. _I'm_ the liability, here. If you leave now you can catch up with Gunny. Go with him to the border and I'll—"

"You'll what, Mac? Wait like a sitting duck for Sadiq to come back and do God knows what to you this time? No. _Hell_ no. We're leaving. Together. Now get the gun out of the top dresser drawer and let's go." He sealed his last statement with a searing kiss on her lips. "I'm not leaving you."

Mac knew that it was a crazy idea, yet the thought of putting Harm in danger was too much for her to bear. She grabbed the gun from the drawer and made sure that it was loaded before concealing it in her waistband. Taking one last look around the room, Harm quietly opened the door and drew a finger to his mouth indicating that they should remain quiet.

He looked to the left and to the right, and then nodded for her to follow. They crept down the back stairway and found a door that led out to the street. Thankfully, the car that Gunny described was right there. They jumped in and Harm pulled the key out from under the seat. Harm turned the key and much to their dismay heard the sound of a rattling engine. "Come on, come on!" He yelled, banging the dashboard and trying again. Mac looked around nervously and saw no one. The engine sputtered a little more each time, but still refused to cooperate. When Mac leaned forward to look in her rearview mirror, she heard shouting coming from the front of the hotel. "Harm—" her voice was worried. 

"Come on, come on, damnit!" He slammed his foot on the accelerator just in time for the engine to come to life. Going as fast as he could down the alley, he looked behind him to see several men running to the place where only seconds before they had been sitting.

"Thank God." Mac leaned her head back on the seat and let out a long breath. "Do you know where we're going?"

"Let's hope so. Gunny gave me the best directions that he could."

"Judging by the gas gauge in this thing, hope is going to get us farther than this car will."

Harm looked down to see the needle flickering above empty. They exchanged a glance before heading off in to the night on a small dirt road that led them into the unknown, while miles behind them, Sadiq twirled a cigar in his mouth and motioned for his men to stay back. "Don't worry." He said with his thick, eerie accent. "They won't get far."

A/N: I know that the chapters are getting shorter, but I update often! Bear with me and thank you for the kind reviews.


	5. Up, Up and Away

"Do you think that's it?" Mac asked, leaning forward and squinting in to the dark.

"Could be. There's a barn."

"Yeah, but it looks like the same two barns that we passed ten minutes ago."

"Gunny said that the plane is out in a field."

Mac looked at Harm with a raised eyebrow. 

"What?"

"The last time that you and I ran to catch a plane like this we had a bunch of crazed hillbillies after us."

He smirked. "And now, we have a maniacal terrorist after us. Definitely not a boring life we lead." 

Harm slowed the car down and turned off the headlights. "I think that's it."

"And the farmer who owns a plane that just so happens to be in the middle of a field probably left the key too I suppose?" She was beginning to get scared, which often expressed itself in sarcasm.

"If not, I can hotwire it. I've done it before."

Mac was beginning to feel increasingly uneasy. She reached across to stop him from getting out of the car. "Harm, let's think about this for a second. I mean, we have no real game plan. Say we do get in the plane, you do get it started and we do happen to take off before we wake the farmer and half the countryside. Then what? Where do we go then?"

"Up." He smiled, but she did not. "Sorry."

"I mean it, Harm, it won't be long before the farmer reports that his plane is missing."

"Gunny gave me a map of the northern countryside. Webb gave it to him when they were at the hospital."

"So, Webb knows what we're doing?"

"I think our favorite spook has a guilty conscience. Yes, he knows what we're doing and he's the one that gave Gunny the instructions on how to get us out of here. There should be an airbase not far from here that is where they were going to sneak him out of the country. Hopefully, there will be a government contact there to get us on a real plane and get us back to the States."

"And if there's not?"

"We'll worry about that later."

Harm knew that leading a Marine into a battle without a strategy was like asking a Squid to live in the dessert. Turning to face her, he grabbed her hands once more. "Look, Mac, I don't know how we're going to get out of here, but I have faith that we will. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, remember?"

"It always sounds good in theory, but you've seen what Sadiq is capable of, Harm. If we mess this up, we're as good as dead, and I can't handle it if something happens to you because of me."

"Mac, we've been over that. None of this is your fault. I came here to find you. Now that I did, I'm not letting you go. I mean it. We will get through this." 

Mac closed her eyes and squinted as the image of the missionaries being shot and Clay's screams played through her mind. A tear slid freely down her cheek. "Harm, I want to believe you. But…you have no idea…" He could tell that the trauma was beginning to catch up with her.

"I know, Sarah. I know." He leaned forward to kiss the tear away. "Let's just focus on getting out of here and getting back to the states where we can start a life together, o.k.? Because I don't know about you, but to me that sounds like something to fight for."

She wiped another tear away and smiled. "I know. I'm sorry. I don't doubt that you're capable. It's Sadiq that I'm worried about." She used the word "worried", although "terrified" is what she really felt. She took another deep breath. "O.k., Flyboy. Show me what you've got." He leaned in to kiss her once more before exiting the car.

Thankfully Gunny had left a flashlight in the car although that had been about it. Low on resources and food, Mac prayed that for once this week, nothing would go wrong.

Pulling her up to the plane, Harm eyed the instrument panel before him as she held the flashlight. "Well?" She asked.

"No key." He replied. "But I think…if I can just…get this…" He grunted a few times and then held one wire in each hand. "O.k., Mac. It's now or never. Just keep holding the flashlight until we're off the ground. Can you do that?" 

"Yeah." She said nervously looking around.

"O.k., let's hope this beauty starts a little easier than the car did."

"And let's hope that Sadiq isn't right on our sixes this time."

The engine roared immediately and the propellers began to swirl with activity. Harm let out a laugh of pleasure and began steering the plane away from the farmer's house. "Here we go, Mac. Hang on!" He yelled as the plane slowly and steadily began its ascent.

"Oh yeah!" Harm yelled and Mac couldn't help but smile. Even in the face of danger, being in a plane brought sheer joy to this man. She forced herself to lean back and to allow the cool night air to fan her face. For a brief moment in time, Harmon Rabb and Sarah Mackenzie were soaring above the clouds; in every sense of the word. 


	6. Surprise, Surprise

"Are you sure that's it?" Mac asked from the back as the plane's engines began to quiet down in preparation to land.

Harm shrugged his shoulders, which was not the sign that Mac was hoping for. Hundreds of feet below them lay a small strip of pavement that could arguably be called an airstrip. There were a few lights flashing below, but what or who they came from was unclear. There was no radio which left Harm and Mac completely out of contact with anyone, good or bad, that might be waiting for them on land.

"Hang on!" He yelled behind him. Bracing herself for what would be a bumpy landing at best, Mac closed her eyes and prepared to meet the ground, one way or another.

The plane bounced and skidded for what seemed like an eternity, before finally coming to rest before a grove of trees. "Are you o.k.?" Harm asked.

"I'm fine. Nice landing, Flyboy. I must say I'm impressed." She leaned up to kiss him. It had taken very little time for them to act as a couple, comfortable with one another and showing affection as if it were routine.

"Why, thank you madam. Please wait until the plane comes to a complete stop before removing your seatbelt. The flight attendant will show you to the door once she has secured the hatch. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your stay." He tried to lighten the mood.

"Very funny. Do you think anyone is out here?"

"I think so. I saw some flashing lights, and they looked like headlights on a car to me. Looks like it's time we found out."

Taking her by the waist and helping her down from the plane, they shined the flashlight in front of them and made their way to the asphalt that had acted as their runway. As they walked closer to where they had seen the lights, they saw no one around. "That's strange. I could have sworn I saw headlights before we landed." Harm thought aloud. 

"Maybe we weren't who they were expecting. Or maybe they went to get someone who was expecting us." She reasoned.

"Yeah, maybe, but it seems odd that no one—" Just as Harm was about to finish his sentence, a pair of headlights shone brightly in their eyes. A few feet away they heard a man's voice.

"Commander, Colonel. It's good to see you. We're here to get you to safety. Get in the car and we'll talk on the way." The voice said. Still blinded by the lights, Harm and Mac could not see the face of anyone before them.

Two men wearing trench coats stepped forward to hold open the back doors of the awaiting car. Once inside, they saw a driver in the front and soon the man who had spoken to them got in the car and turned so that they could see his face.

"Kershaw." Harm said.

"Commander, nice job navigating the plane. I presume that you had no trouble?"

"We had a close call before leaving town, but we're otherwise o.k." He reached across the seat to grab Mac's hand.

"Glad to hear it. Colonel, your participation in this investigation has been helpful. We appreciate the Admiral's cooperation in the matter as well. He has been briefed and would like to speak to you personally when time allows."

She nodded, but refrained from saying much else regarding her involvement. "Where are you taking us?" She asked.

"To the Embassy. You'll get new passports just to be safe, a shower and a hot meal, but you won't have time for much else. Sadiq is relentless as you now know, and no one can be trusted at this point. Border and airport security are known to be easily bought. You'll have to have new aliases and we'll have to altar your appearance somewhat, just until you're out of the country. The Embassy will be one of the first places that he looks and he is a master of disguise. We'll have to move fast."

Harm and Mac looked at one another with a knowing glance. They rode in companionable silence for the next hour, holding hands the entire time. At least they were safe and on their way out of the country where Sadiq would be a distant memory.

"Sir, Maam. My name is Jane." The worker at the Embassy showed them in to a room that looked a somewhat like a hotel room, somewhat like an office. "You will find everything that you need here. Dial extension #28 if you need assistance, but we would advise you to avoid using the phone beyond that. Your passports." She said, handing them each a small, blue book.

Eager to see who they were going to be for the next several hours, they flipped them open. "Rick Jasper." Harm smiled. "Sounds like a soap opera name."

Mac raised her eyebrow when she heard Harm's alias. "What about you, who are you now?" 

"Kelly." She smiled.

"Kelly? Not bad. What about the last name?"

"Jasper." She smiled. "Apparently you and I are married."

He smiled and closed the distance between them. Taking her by surprise, he pulled her in to a deep and passionate kiss. "I like the sound of that." He said once the kiss was broken. She smiled and kissed him once more just because she could.

"This is turning out to be quite an adventure, wouldn't you say?" She asked while playing with the buttons on his shirt.

"Yeah, I'd say. We've been awake now for, oh…"

"Sixteen hours, forty-five minutes and twenty-eight seconds." She finished for him.

"I will never understand how you do that." He smiled and kissed her once more. The phone rang just as they were about to move to a more comfortable position. They each let out a loud sigh.

"Yes." Harm answered, not knowing which name he should refer to himself as.

"It's Jane. Kershaw would like to see you downstairs in thirty minutes."

"O.k."

"Please be dressed and ready to go by then."

"O.k." He gave Mac a look of confusion before hanging up. "We have thirty minutes to transform in to the Jaspers."

"In that case, I'm showering first." Mac said, bolting past him to the bathroom. Once again, bathing was just what she needed, although there was little time to savor the luxury. After toweling off, she opened the door and asked Harm to hand her the Mrs. Jasper costume.

"Coming." He said, and when he stepped in front of her to hand her the bag, she nearly fainted. "Harm! You don't look anything like yourself! How did you—"

"There was another bathroom through that door. I figured since we were short on time, I'd better get going. So, what do you think?" He turned around to give her the view from the front and back.

"Very nice, I must say. I never pictured you with glasses, brown eyes a goatee, and a beret, but the look is good. Very…professorish." She giggled.

"Just wait, Mackenzie. Save the laughs for later when we see just what you look like."

"O.k., see you in a few."

Harm could hear a hairdryer and then Mac's laughter several times. "You are not going to believe this!" She yelled from the door.

"Hurry it up. I'm dying to see my wife." He yelled from the room. 

"I'm almost done." She said. "Are you ready?"

When she emerged from the bathroom, Harm's jaw dropped. There she stood in a long blonde, curly wig wearing a red strapless sundress with high heeled sandals and blue contact lenses in her eyes.

"Oh my—"

"So, Mr. Jasper, looks like I'm the kind of wife you don't want to take home to mama!" She laughed and spun around for him as he had done.

"Well, I don't know about the blonde hair…or the blue eyes….but the dress…I can definitely live with that."

"Shall we?" He said, extending his arm.

"Let's."

The couple walked down the long flight of stairs to see Jane there, directing them to Mr. Kershaw. "Down the hall, third door on the left." She said. When Harm and Mac stepped in to the room, they were surprised once more.

"Webb." They both said in unison.

A/N: Thank you so much for the kind reviews. I've never been inside of an embassy before so I apologize if that wasn't believable. Also, they needed someone at Kershaw's level to intervene. Stay with me. This story maps itself out as I go, but the excitement isn't over. Thank you again for such kind reviews! 


	7. The Marine Gets Her Turn

"Harm, Sarah." Webb greeted them from a chair in the corner. His face was still swollen and bruised and his left arm was in a sling. Mac couldn't help but gasp at the sight of him.

"Clay, I thought they were taking you out of the country." She walked over to greet him with a gentle hug. He stood and embraced her, a little bit longer than Harm would have liked.

"There's been a change in plans."

Harm could feel the anger begin to boil. He had an idea of where this was headed and he didn't like it one bit. Playing on Mac's sympathies was probably all part of the game.

"Please, sit." Webb motioned and the two joined him in front of Kershaw's desk.

Mac was eager to hear what the men had to say. Harm just wanted to catch the next flight to anywhere. Leaning forward in her chair, Mac began. "So, what about the change in plans?"

"After reevaluating our strategy, it's become obvious that he is agitated. The Colonel, Victor and Webb were able to penetrate farther in to his ring than we had anticipated. Sadiq's closest advisors are scattered, dead or afraid, and that's right where we want them."

"Go on." Mac said, at which point, Webb intervened.

"We've stirred up the bee's nest, so to speak. But Sadiq hasn't fled the country like we suspected. Instead, he's hanging around. He's mad and he wants revenge."

"What does that have to do with us?" Mac asked.

Webb hesitated before continuing. Harm could feel the veins popping on his temple. "Sarah, Sadiq seems to have taken a personal interest in you. He's been riled, by a westerner. A woman, nonetheless. He is intrigued by your character and furious that you've gotten the last laugh." _What a load of crap._ Harm thought to himself. He was going to give them about five more seconds before jumping down their throats.

"It's a game of cat and mouse to him now, and if we could just get you to—" Webb could say no more. Harm was out of his chair and in Webb's face.

"Webb you son of a bitch! Where the _hell_ do you get off dragging Mac down here in the first place, nearly getting her killed and then having the gall to ask her to do it again?" His face was red and his patience was gone.

"Harm! Stop! It's o.k. Just, just sit down." Mac pulled him away from Webb and led him back to his chair. "I can speak for myself." She shot him a glare that he had seen one too many times. She was a Marine Colonel and she could handle herself just fine.

Harm sat down reluctantly as Webb and Kershaw exchanged a glance.   
"Webb, just what exactly is it that you're proposing?" She calmly questioned.

Harm rolled his eyes and Webb continued. "If we let Sadiq know that you're still around, he won't be able to help himself. He'll want to contact you, to meet with you. There's no doubt. If we can set up a meeting place, you would be surrounded by backups, I assure you." Before he could continue, Mac interrupted.

"So, let me get this straight. You want to use me as bait to lure an international weapons dealer slash terrorist out of the woodwork so that you and your incompetent team of brass can attempt yet _again_ to apprehend this man, while he casually lets me walk away?"

_Oh boy. They'd better clear the room. Mad Marine alert._ Harm said to himself, welling up with pride at the direction that Mac was taking this.

"Sarah, it's not that—" Webb tried to continue.

"No, Webb. I understand perfectly. And were it any other circumstance, I might consider it. But this is no more thought out than the plan that you drug me down here with. You're making a mockery of me, my job and my country. I cannot and will not be a part of this any longer."

She stared long and hard at Webb. "I expected more from you." It was a quiet comment that made Harm feel like he was no longer in the room. He was uncomfortable with the bond that these two seemed to share, and even though Mac was tearing in to him now, he felt like he was the last one to arrive at the party.

She broke the stare and turned her attention to Kershaw. "How will this affect my return to the States?" She calmly asked.

Knowing that now wasn't the time to push her farther, Kershaw complied completely. "It will have no effect. As I said, we appreciate your assistance in the matter and apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused."

_Inconvenience?_ Harm thought. _Hell, they're talking to her like they lost her luggage! _ Mac was certainly holding her own, but he was dying to add his two cents.

"So our travel plans remain the same?" She stayed on track.

"Yes, Colonel. You and the Commander will still be wise to use these aliases created for you. Once you've left the country, you should be safe."

"Should be." His last comment was not lost on Mac.

"Colonel, I wish that we could tell you that Sadiq is no longer a threat, but the fact of the matter is that he is still out there and still operating in some capacity. We have no way to know what his next move will be, or even if it involves you."

_Sly bastard_. _Now he's trying to make her feel guilty for not helping them by getting her scared. _Harm was certain that his tongue would bleed from biting it so hard.

"I understand." Mac replied through clenched teeth. "I assume that our ride to the airport is ready?" Kershaw nodded, and with that, she turned and left. Harm stood to follow her, but just as Webb stood to get out of his chair, he pushed him hard enough in the chest to make him sit back down. "You disgust me. Both of you."

He walked down the hall to see Mac's figure near the window. Her shoulders were shaking. "Hey, hey…" He turned her toward him and embraced her with all that he had. She buried her head in his chest and cried silently and uncontrollably as he held her in his arms. From a distance, Webb watched the two. Shaking his head, he turned to walk back in to the office. He had blown it. In more than one way and he knew it.


	8. Sleep and Second Guesses

Mac was quiet almost the entire flight to Brazil. It would be tomorrow before their flight left for Miami, and then another several hours until she would be home. Her exhaustion was not lost on Harm. He took it upon himself to book a hotel room nearby so that they could get some much needed rest before the rest of their journey. He had completely lost track of how many hours they had gone without sleep, but he knew that Mac probably had it calculated down to the minute.

While waiting for a cab to take them to the hotel, Harm pulled her in to his arms and kissed her on the top of her head. If she didn't want to talk right now, then he would wait. Something was obviously going through her mind and he wanted to be there for her when she was ready.

The cab arrived and delivered them to a nearby hotel where Mac promptly removed her colored contact lenses, wig and sandals. She went immediately in to the shower and again Harm gave her space. He was fortunate enough to have his luggage in tact, although Mac was now limited to a strapless red sundress. He decided to head down to the boutique in the lobby to see if he could find something else for her to wear. He'd left her a note, but when he returned, she was waiting, wrapped tightly in the hotel's robe.

"I picked up another couple of dresses for you. They're not much, but I figured you'd want a clean change of clothes." He set the bag down on the chair and removed his denim jacket.

"Thanks." She said quietly.

"I guess I'll head for the shower now. Do you need anything?"

"No, just hurry." She gave him a small smile.

He smiled and headed for what would be the fastest shower that he'd ever taken. Drying off and changing in to some comfortable clothing, he opened the door to see Mac snuggled under the covers fast asleep. He took in the sight of her, finally peaceful after what had been one of the longest ordeals in her life. No matter what the future held, he had no regrets about coming to find her. He knew in his heart that this woman was the one that he needed to be with for the rest of his life.

She murmured something as he climbed in behind her, pulling her close. He kissed the back of her hair and drifted off quickly with Mac in his arms. Several hours later, he was awakened by the sound of someone yelling. Mac. It was Mac. It took him a moment to reorient himself and then he realized that she was having a bad dream. She was sweating and agitated. "No!" She yelled and acted as if she was trying to get something or someone off of her. "_NO!_" She yelled again before Harm gently shook her out of her sleep. She sat straight up in bed and looked at him and then looked around the room. Catching her breath, she looked at Harm again.

"Mac, it's o.k. I'm here. It was just a bad dream. Come here."

She hugged him tightly in return, as if making sure that he wouldn't slip away. Finally, she spoke. "How long, Harm? How long will the nightmares last?" He knew that it was a rhetorical question and waited for her to continue.

"Sadiq, he…he got in to my head, Harm. It was like the devil looking in to my soul."

"Mac, he can't hurt you anymore. He's back in Paraguay, and you're here, with me."

"Can't he? I mean, you heard what Kershaw said. It's a game to him. And the things I learned about him, the things that he said to me…I don't know, Harm." She pulled her knees up to her chest and looked at him squarely in the eyes. "It's not over. I can feel it."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I don't know. That's just it. Ever since we left the embassy I've been playing it all over again in my mind. What should I have done differently? Should I have stayed behind to help Webb again? I mean, it didn't feel right at the time, but now—I just don't know."

"Mac, this is a CIA problem, not a Marine JAG's problem. Webb and Kershaw, they'll figure it out, without your involvement. You thought that helping them would be a noble cause and it was, until your life was put in danger. It's not worth it anymore, Mac."

She knew that he was trying to say that now they were a couple, now they had each other to consider. "That's just it, Harm. Nothing that I do is going to be worth it with that psycho still under my skin, taunting me. I mean, I want to move forward. With you, desperately, but I can't shake this nagging feeling that Sadiq won't let that happen." She surprised herself by starting to cry.

"Harm, he told me that no man would ever want me, would ever love me. He told me that I would be barren and that I would reap the consequences of my actions." She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "What did he mean? Harm, why did he say that to me?" She sounded like a child, searching for innocence lost. This was a side of her that Harm had never seen before.

"Shhh. It's o.k., Sarah." He leaned back against the headboard and held her while she cried. "Sadiq is known for his brutal treatment of the enemy. With Webb he got physical. With you, he turned to psychological torture. You didn't deserve that, Mac. Any of it, and it's not true. He knows that. He was pushing your buttons, but he can't anymore."

Once her crying subsided, she turned to face him. "Harm, what do you think that we should do? Part of me wants to turn right back around and to finish this, once and for all. Another part of me just wants to go back home and to pretend like none of this ever happened. But now I have you and you don't have a job because of me…will I ever really know 'normal' again?"

"I don't know what the answer is, Mac. I'll be fine, don't worry about that, but if Sadiq is really in your head like this…then maybe we need to consider other options."

She was surprised that he understood completely where she was coming from. "Do you think we should tell Webb that we'll help him?"

"No. _Hell_ no. I don't trust that spook as far as I can throw him and I'm not sure that Kershaw is any more reliable." He was thinking out loud. "I certainly don't want to put you in danger."

"But do you see what I'm saying? Harm, what is your gut instinct about all of this? And be honest with me, please."

He cupped the back of her head and stared thoughtfully before responding. "I'm with you, Mac. Something deep down in my soul is telling me that it's not over."

"So, what do we do now?"

"We get some sleep and hopefully in the morning it will all make sense."

She leaned forward to kiss him softly and lovingly. Tracing his jaw line with her finger, she deepened the kiss which he welcomed fully. "I love you." She said, breaking the kiss as if she had just remembered something important that had happened that day. His eyes lit up like a child's. She said it. He'd known it, he'd felt it, but now that he'd heard the words, he felt complete. He smiled. "I love you." She said it again, this time with more emotion and sincerity, followed by another string of soft kisses.

"I love you too."

With that, they laid down in one another's arms where sleep took precedence over passion, and where nightmares gave way to dreams.

* * *

A/N: This story is taking on a life of its own! Thank you for the encouragement and great reviews. I appreciate the feedback! 


	9. Enemies Among Us

"Good morning." Harm awakened to a cheerful Mac pulling open the curtains to allow a bright blast of sunlight in to the room.

"Good morning." He stretched. "How long did we sleep?"

"Twelve hours, twenty -eight minutes and thirty-two seconds."

He pulled a pillow over his head and groaned. "How do you _do_ that?"

She smiled and walked over to the sitting area where there were two silver platters on the table. "Breakfast awaits, Sailor."

"Room service? How long have you been awake?"

"Only one hour, fifteen minutes and twenty—"

"Alright, alright, I get it." He stretched again and walked over to where she sat, greeting her with a kiss. "What do we have here? Fruit, toast and juice? Why, Marine, you're not going healthy on me, are you?"

"Hardly." She said through a mouth full of toast. "There wasn't a lot to choose from"

"You look…rested." He smiled as he poured himself a glass of juice.

"Thank you. I feel much better. Life always looks better after I've had some rest."

He raised his eyebrow, fully aware that she was about to explain further.

"I talked to the Admiral this morning."

"And…"

He tried to appear interested although the Admiral was not one of his favorite people in the world right now. He felt that he should have given him some leniency when he asked to find Mac, although deep down he knew that the Admiral was probably all out of favors when it came to Harm.

"He wanted to know how things are going. He said that the case loads are building up at home and wondered when we'd be back."

Harm kept chewing unaware that she had just used the word 'we' until a few seconds later.

"What do you mean, back home?"

"No, back at JAG. Seems the Admiral hasn't processed your resignation just yet. Looks like you and I are still happily employed by the U.S. government."

Harm set his juice glass down and let her words sink in.

"Harm?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm…thinking."

"Are you o.k. with that? I mean, I thought you'd be happy."

"I don't know. I'm surprised, I guess. I'd actually gotten used to the idea of being a free agent."

"I sort of suspected." She replied.

"Really? You could tell?"

"It was written all over your face. I know that the Navy was your life for so long. But once you found me and helped me get away from Sadiq, you seemed… different."

He nodded, thinking carefully about his entire situation.

"Harm, you don't have to commit to anything right away. In fact, I think we could both use some time to reevaluate our situations in life."

"What are you thinking? About Sadiq, I mean."

"Last night I was gripped with the fear and the memories of it all, but I was also delirious with exhaustion. Today things seem--"

"Better?"

"Yeah. I don't think that Sadiq is a quitter by any means, but I also can't try to get in to his head. It's not worth it. If he wants to play the game, he'll have to make the first move and he'll have to come a long way to do it. I've got too much to look forward to."

She smiled and stood before him taking the bowl of fruit from his hands and placing it on the table behind her. She climbed in to his lap and began kissing his jaw line all the way down to his neck. Harm let out a groan of pleasure as his hands began to explore freely.

"Oh yeah, like what?" He asked quietly.

"Like you. And me. And our future. Together." She marked each statement with a kiss on a different location.

"I like it. I like it a lot." He muttered before seeking her mouth to greet her with the day's first long, passionate kiss.

As should have been predictable by now, the couple was interrupted by a knock on the door. Caught completely by surprise, they stopped and looked at one another worriedly.

The knocking continued and Harm went to the door to look out the peephole. "Management." The voice from the other side announced.

He opened the door slowly without allowing the man to enter. "Yes?" He asked.

"Your cab. It is here."

Harm looked confused. "To the airport?" The man explained.

Harm looked at Mac who was shaking her head and mouthing the word 'no.'

He nodded in agreement before saying, "Um, o.k., thanks. We'll be right down."

Closing the door and quickly locking it, he asked, "Did you call a cab?"

"No, did you?"

"No. Our flight doesn't leave for another hour and a half."

A look of concern spread across Mac's face. "What do we do now?"

"I don't know. But we need to lose this clown."

"We checked in as the Jaspers. Did he get a good look at you?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Did he have any sort of a uniform on?"

"He seemed to, but I don't know if it was the hotel's or not."

"Do you think that someone recognized us?"

"I don't see how they could have. We're in another country."

"I don't like this."

"Me neither."

Just as the two were contemplating their next move, the phone rang, causing Mac to jump practically out of her skin. "Don't answer it!" She said.

"Why don't you answer it in Farsi, or Spanish, or something?"

She raced over to the phone. "Hola?" She disguised her voice.

There was silence on the other end. "Hola?" She said again, shrugging her shoulders to Harm.

No one. She pretended to be carefree and unaffected, giggling something else in Spanish before hanging up.

"What did you say?"

"I said, 'silly kids'."

"And nobody said anything?"

"Not a word, not a peep."

"I think we need to get out of here."

Harm moved over to the window to draw the curtains closed, but first took a sideways glance out on to the street. "Mac. Come here."

He held her tightly to him as they both peered out the window trying not to be seen. "It's a car similar to the one that Kershaw picked us up in. How long do you think they've been out there?"

"I don't know. But I want to know why they followed us here."

"I'll feel a lot better when we're at that airport gate. What do you think, leave as the Jaspers again or not?"

"I don't know. If the agency has a car on us, it won't matter. They'll be looking for us either way."

"There's only one way main entrance to this hotel, right?" She asked.

"I can't imagine that there wouldn't be another exit.

"O.k., we're going to call for a cab and as soon as it pulls up, we're jumping in."

"You know that they'll tail us."

He nodded in agreement. "It's about the only thing that we can do".

Once Harm finished calling for a cab, he looked at Mac who was beginning to get nervous. "Mac, it's going to be o.k. No matter what happens, we cannot get separated, o.k.? Under no circumstances do I want you out of my sight."

"Deal."

He sealed it with a kiss and then took one last look out the window. "The unmarked is still there, but I think I see a cab pulling up. This is it. Let's go."

She nodded and followed close behind. They raced down the stairs and out of the lobby doors. Harm quickly opened the door of the cab and pushed Mac inside. "To the airport." He said, closing the door and looking behind him, where sure enough the car that had been parked across the street began to follow them.

The cab driver said nothing, but nodded. Mac had a strange feeling all of a sudden. Something didn't feel right to her, and when the driver passed the exit to the airport, she knew that something was very wrong.

She nudged Harm in the leg to see if he noticed, and he did. "Sir, the airport. We have to get to the airport!" He yelled.

"Change in plans." The driver said in a plain American accent.

"What? Who are you? Where are you taking us?"

"I'm with the U.S. government. A situation has been brought to our attention that you need to be aware of."

"Tell me who the hell you are!" Harm demanded. "I need to see some I.D. now or you're going to have the nose of a gun shoved right against your skull!"

The man reached across the seat and flipped open a leather case containing a badge from the CIA. "Garrison." He said.

"Well, why are you speeding and why can't you tell us where we're going?"

"You'll see soon enough, Mr. Rabb."

Mac was trying to pay attention to where they were headed, but the road signs became fewer and farther between. Soon the car pulled in to the alley behind a small open market and then took another turn in to a vacant parking lot where another black car was waiting. Two young children with a soccer ball moved out of the way and ran across the street.

"You need to get out now, and get in to the other car." Garrison instructed.

"Why should we trust you? Who is in that car, exactly?"

The man turned around to face them, and for the first time Mac could see that it was one of the men that had been at the airfield the night that they landed the plane.

"You really don't have a choice but to trust me." He gave them a stern look, and Mac knew that he was right. They didn't have many options at this point. Mac opened her door and got out of the car, looking around for any signs of trouble. Once Harm was out of the car, the door to the other vehicle opened. She looked at Harm for direction, and he nodded. Climbing in to the backseat of the car, they saw a familiar face turn to greet them.

"Kershaw, what the hell is this about?" Harm demanded.

"Colonel, Commander. We have reason to believe that Sadiq made it in to the embassy shortly after you left."

"What?" Mac asked. "What makes you say that?"

"We found a security guard in the back. He'd been shot and his uniform was missing."

"So? How do you know that it was Sadiq?" She persisted.

"He left his calling card—a lit cigar in one of the offices. He wanted us to know that he'd gotten inside. He could have easily seen you and the Commander leaving or somehow gotten information about where you were headed."

Harm slapped the seat beside him. "So, it was you that called our room earlier and sent someone to check on us?" Kershaw nodded. Well how do you plan on getting us out of the country now? We can't catch our scheduled flight."

"We're going to give you a new alias and take you to a different airport; hopefully get him off of your scent. But we couldn't take the chance of you heading to that airport without knowing that Sadiq is getting close."

"O.k., so where are the new passports?" Mac demanded. Now she wanted to get home more than ever.

"It's going to take a few more hours. We'll take you to a remote location until everything is set. The Admiral has been briefed once again and is aware of your delayed return."

"Fine. Just, take us. Let's go. I don't like the looks of this place." Mac said, looking out the back window and then out the front.

Kershaw nodded to the driver and they left the parking lot. This was turning out to be a rollercoaster ride that Mac did not want to be on. After driving for about ten minutes, the car stopped.

"What is it? What's going on?" They both asked from the back seat.

Kershaw said nothing, but got out of the car along with the driver. Soon another black car pulled up, and then another, and then a Jeep. It looked similar to the location in Paraguay when Webb and Mac's cover had been blown. There were a few trees, but mostly just nothing.

"Harm, I don't like this." She looked at the men gathering in front of their cars to speak.

"I don't either, not one bit. I'm going to go see—"

"No! You can't. We're not getting separated, remember?"

"Mac, I have to know what Kershaw is up to. Just, wait here and I'll be right back. I promise."

"Harm, no! I'm not letting you leave my sight! This doesn't feel right to me."

"O.k., you're right. We'll wait here, together."

The five men now standing in front of the car looked in to see what Harm and Mac were doing, then down at their watches, and then down the road. One of them motioned to the other, signaling another vehicle headed their way. At the sight of the truck coming down the road, the men scattered behind their cars and drew their weapons.

"Holy—" Harm said.

He took one look at Mac who said, "We've been set up."

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry if this was too long and boring! It won't be long before this chunk is over with. Thank you again for the nice reviews. 


	10. Divine Intervention

"Harm—"

"That bastard! He couldn't let us get away without using you one more time."

"Do you think he's going to trade me for Sadiq?"

"Over my dead body."

"What do we do?"

"We do have a gun, right?"

"Yes, but there's only two of us and—"

"Wait, let's see who's getting out of the car. Maybe it's not—"

"It's not. Oh thank God, it's not Sadiq!"

"Who is it? Do you recognize him?"

"Yes, I think I do. He was at the hacienda where Webb and I were being held. I only saw him once or twice, but he is definitely one of Sadiq's right hand men."

"Can you hear what they're saying?"

"No. But I can't stand this. Why are they doing this? Why would Kershaw do this?"

"Because Sadiq's capture on his watch is just the career boost that he needs right now. His mouth is watering to get this guy and he'll stop at nothing to make it happen."

"Including lying to us."

"Looks like it."

"Wait, they're done talking. His hands are raised. Is he surrendering?"

"No way—none of Sadiq's men would—"

Just then a bath of bullets went spraying through the air. "Mac, get down!" The two ducked behind the seats as Harm pulled the gun from the bag. They heard yelling and more gunfire. He made sure that his weapon was ready and loaded. "Harm, you can't go out there."

He said nothing and the gunfire seemed to slow. They peered out the front window one more time and saw that only two men were left standing. "Mac, listen to me. This is what we're going to do. We're going to get out, move to the front seat, and then we're going to take off as fast as we possibly can. Do you hear me? When I say 'go', you get in to the driver's seat and floor it. I'll have you covered."

"But what about—"

"Mac, I think Kershaw just got caught up in his own mess. We're not waiting around to see how this showdown plays out."

She knew that they had only a few options in this circumstance, and getting captured was worth avoiding if at all possible, no matter what the outcome. The car was parked just far enough away that this could work, if they could just keep the last agent from shooting, all they would have to do was keep Sadiq's man away.

She nodded. "Are you ready?" She nodded again and Harm threw open the door and pointed his gun squarely at the man who appeared to have been grazed in the arm. He was yelling at the other field agent, and barely noticed Harm. This was all so odd, Harm thought to himself, expecting to be met with gunfire. Mac flew out of her door and made her way to the front of the car where she got behind the wheel and started the car.

"I'm in! Harm, get in!" 

He said nothing to the two men who seemed to be having a discussion of their own until Sadiq's man saw Mac. Their eyes locked and it became clear that he just figured out that she'd been there.

"Go, Mac. Go, now!" Harm yelled as she stepped on the gas and swerved to avoid the small scattering of bodies and vehicles.

"Alright, alright! I'm going! Are you o.k.?" 

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Harm let out a big sigh as he turned around one more time. "They're not following us. I think they have business of their own to work out."

"What do you mean? Harm what the hell just happened back there?"

"I don't know, but I'd say that maybe those two were trying to go behind their bosses' backs to somehow reap a reward. Kershaw probably got jumpy when he figured out that Sadiq wasn't with him. I'm just glad that we got out of there."

"Yeah, but now there are two men who may be helping each other that just got a good look at me and know that we're in this car."

"We don't have Kershaw anymore, and apparently we never did. God only knows where Webb is or if he had anything to do with this. Gunny left Paraguay." Harm rubbed his forehead as if coaxing a brilliant idea to come out of his head.

"Where should I go? We can't stay in this car for long."

"No, you're right. It looks like there's a small village up ahead."

"Yeah, but that would be obvious, wouldn't it? I mean, don't you think that's the first place they would look? If there's been a dirty agent with his hand in all of this, I feel like we have two bulls-eyes painted on our foreheads now instead of one."

"We need to get in touch with the Admiral. He's our only hope at this point in getting us out of here."

"When he finds out what just happened—"

The two looked at each other, both able to visualize the rage that would take place in his office. Admiral Chegwidden didn't appreciate "loaning" his officers for CIA missions like this. It was always with reluctance that he agreed, frustrated by the politics of his job. But there was a line in the sand that everyone knew should not be crossed, and Kershaw and just done it. He'd gone behind everyone's back in the name of greed, and if Kershaw hadn't just died it wouldn't have mattered, because the Admiral would have likely done the job himself.

"How much gas do we have?"

"A full tank this time."

"O.k., then, I say we keep driving until we see some place that looks like it's safe and has a phone."

Mac gave him a questioning look.

"What?" He said. "There's got to be someplace with people that can be trusted."

"I'm beginning to wonder."

They drove for thirty more miles before coming up on another village, not nearly as remote as the last. "Mac, I think we found it."

"What, where?"

"Up ahead. On your left." He pointed.

A large smile spread across her face. "A church. Of course."

They pulled their car in to the small parking lot and got out quickly. They had no idea if time was on their side or how closely behind them anyone was following, or if Sadiq now knew that they were in the area. They weren't in Paraguay anymore, so they hoped that Sadiq held less power of the locals here and had fewer eyes on the street.

Harm held her hand as the pulled open the large, wooden front doors. They stepped forward, looking around at the beautiful, colored windows and worn wooden pews. At the front of the church was a priest. He had been kneeling at the altar. When they walked in, he turned to greet them.

He said something in Spanish, and Harm quickly looked at Mac. "Sorry, my Spanish is limited to 'no thank you', 'silly kids', 'directions please' and 'no guacamole."

"English?" Harm asked.

"Yes, yes, of course." The man smiled and motioned for them to sit down. He smiled.

"Father, we need your help." Mac began.

"Yes, yes, of course you do." He smiled and laughed, patting both of their hands.

Harm looked confused and was about to share their story when the priest continued. "Love…knows no patience when it is new." He looked in to both of their eyes. "It's a gift, from God, to find the good woman that you love, to spend your life with." Now he was looking at Harm, who would have normally broken out in to a sweat by now. Instead, he smiled at the priest's confusion.

Again he tried to interrupt, but the priest held up his hand. "This woman. You love her?"

"Yes Father." He couldn't help but to be respectful.

"And you…he is good to you?" The man asked Mac, who was smiling.

"Yes, very." It was a bizarre situation to Mac, but she was enjoying being in the presence of this man, who seemed somehow, all knowing.

He continued staring at the couple before him. Mac reached across to grab Harm's hand. The priest, noticing, said, "It is God's will."

Harm and Mac looked at one another, letting out a confused laugh. "Uh, excuse me?" She said.

"Just now, when I was praying. I knew that love would walk through those doors."

"Father, uh, we do love each other, yes…very much…" Mac decided to take a turn, hoping to get their story out.

The priest nodded. "I will help you. If you will help yourselves."

At this they were even more confused. "Um, excuse me, Father?" Mac questioned again.

"You'll see." He said, before standing before them.

It was three hours later when Harm and Mac emerged from the church and went to their car, where Harm opened the door for her. Looking slightly dazed, she looked up at him and smiled a childish, giddy smile. He laughed as well, and then planted his hands on either side of her, pinning her between himself and the car. "I love you." She breathed, before leaning up to receive a searing, passionate kiss that made the people walking by stop and whisper.

The kiss continued for what would be considered way too long by etiquette's standards, but neither one of them cared. Her hands were drawing him closer to her and her fingers played lazily with the back of his hair before sliding down his back to find his waist. His own hands left the car and had encircled her, clinging to her for dear life.

Once the couple realized that a small crowd was gathering in the street, they finally broke for air. Looking around, they smiled at the stares that they had drawn. Harm laughed, and looked back at Mac, who was straightening her shirt. He raised his eyebrows as he often did when he was really happy or just confused. In this case, he was both.

"I love you too, Mrs. Rabb. Let's go home."


	11. Going Home

A/N: This chapter is short but sweet! Hopefully it fills in a few blanks before we move on to the next phase. Thank you all for reviewing and for sticking with this story.

* * *

"A little more, to the left. Ah….thanks." She moaned as Harm rubbed her shoulders from behind. "I can't wait to get home to my own bed and my bathtub and my own clothes…" she said, with her eyes closed as Harm continued to work out the kinks in her shoulders.

"You're in that big of a hurry, huh?"

She smiled and turned to face him. "Harm you have to admit, this has been one long trip. Nothing has gone as planned. I'll just feel a lot better when we're safe at home."

"Yeah, I know. But after our flight to Miami, don't you want to consider the Admiral's offer to stay a couple of days? I mean, this is technically our honeymoon. Why not extend our stay just a little? Before we have to go back and face the world."

She looked at him with curiosity. "Harm, you're not looking forward to going back, are you?"

"It's not that, it's just that—I don't know. I guess I have some big decisions to make and I'm not sure if I'm ready to face that yet."

"The Admiral implied that you still had a future with JAG, Harm. And when we spoke to him from the church, he seemed to be genuinely thankful for your part in finding me."

"I know, but we left out one small detail."

"That we got married. Are you worried about his reaction?"

"Yes and no. I mean, I don't think that he'll be as surprised as we think he will."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because when I left his office that day, he asked me what I would do if I did find you. He wanted to know what I would do to keep you."

Mac was surprised. "He said that?"

Harm nodded.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that I would pull you in to my arms like this, and then that I would kiss you like this," He said, kissing her soundly on the mouth. "and then that after that, I intended to run from Sadiq a few more times, expose a corrupt CIA agent and _then_ that I would take as long as possible getting home because I hoped that somewhere along the way you'd become my wife." He teased.

"Uh-huh. I'm sure that that's exactly what you told him." She smiled. He shrugged his shoulders.

"O.k., maybe it wasn't exactly like that. But anyway, he knew."

"He knew what?"

Harm grew more serious for a moment. "He knew that I had to find you to tell you that I love you."

Mac had yet to grow tired of hearing him say those words. She turned to putty inside and leaned in for a kiss. "Harm?" She said. "I hear Miami is nice this time of year." She smiled, and kissed him again.

The announcement came for all passengers to board the flight to Miami. They stood and gathered what few belongings they had. "Is this really it?" She asked.

He nodded. "Let's go."

The couple was tired of being on the run. The guidance that they found from the priest was helpful, both personally and professionally. He had allowed them use of his phone and they'd been able to wait there safely while the Admiral called back with arrangements for a flight back to the States. He fed them and had been the one to suggest marriage, reminding them that life was short and that they had obviously been brought there for a reason. He could see the commitment that existed between them, and encouraged them to take the next step. He even took a photo of them after the impromptu ceremony. "I'll send you a copy, my friends." He smiled after the flash had gone off.

Now they were at yet another airport in Brazil, waiting to head back to their homeland; the place where they lived and worked and would begin their life together. Taking their seats beside one another on the plane, Mac gazed out the window, processing all that had happened to her since she'd been gone.

"You o.k.?" Harm asked, reaching for her hand.

She turned to him and smiled. "Yeah. Thanks to you, I am. I think some time in Miami to unwind is just what we need."

"So do I. Maybe we can get a hotel by the beach." He leaned his own head back and visualized the relaxation and the ocean air.

She leaned over to plant a small kiss on his cheek, then on his chin, and then on his neck. "And maybe—" She then moved to suck gently on his earlobe before whispering something in to his ear. His eyes opened immediately and he turned to face her. "Why Marine, I had no idea..."

She laughed and laid her head to rest on his shoulder. The flight would be a good chance for them both to catch a nap before the honeymoon began.


	12. Together

A/N: Here is a little bit of romance to hold you over until the next update! I'm not sure how many chapters this story has left to reveal, but it will be at least a few more. Thank you yet again for the reviews!

* * *

It was several hours later when Harm and Mac found their way to the hotel. After the flight, renting a car and making a quick trip to a nearby mall so that Mac could buy some clothes, the day was almost over.

"Are you sure you don't want to get something to eat?" Harm asked.

"No, I'm fine, really. The salad at the mall should hold me over for awhile."

They both stopped to ponder what she just said.

"Mac, do you realize that you just told me that a _salad _would hold you over for awhile?"

"Yes, I guess I did. Times are changing, that's for sure. But don't get used to it. There's a burger joint not far from here. I've already scoped it out." She smiled.

The realization that they were now in a hotel room together, married and about to confront the elephant that had been in the room for the last nine years came upon them simultaneously. Affection was easily expressed since their getting together, but somehow the two felt a sense of nervousness now, standing before one another after years of avoidance. The dance was about to be over for good. They were excited, hesitant, eager and scared all at the same time. Once again, Harm put them both at ease.

"Come here." He said, stretching out his hand for her to take.

She walked over to where he stood and placed both of her hands on his hips, looking up at him. Looking in to his eyes was enough to light the fire on her part. The look on his face when he was about to say something meaningful and heartwarming was always a guarantee that she would go weak in the knees.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, reaching up with his fingers to play with the ends of her hair before sliding them down to rest on her backside. "Mac, a lot has happened to you in the last several days. I don't want you to think that I'm rushing you in to anything. I know that we got married unexpectedly, and if you begin to have doubts about that, I want you to know that I'll understand completely."

She looked confused. "Doubts? Why, are you?"

"No, not at all! I can't tell you how happy I am. I never thought that this would feel so…right. It makes me kick myself for not telling you how I felt sooner. I don't regret marrying you. I don't regret going to Paraguay. I don't regret anything that has happened to us in the last few days, because even though it's been a crazy journey, it's been worth it to have you by my side."

Mac was continually surprised at his eloquence when it came to expressing his feelings. For someone that had avoided this for so many years, he certainly must have been practicing somehow, because everything that he said was just what she needed to hear.

"Harm, I don't have any regrets about marrying you. I hate it that I caused you to worry by leaving to go with Webb, but the circumstances led to this, so I can't say that I have any regrets. Going forward I want us to be as open as possible with one another. Can we do that?"

He reached up to cup her face and moved his thumb slowly over her cheek. "I can do that. Only with you, but I can do it."

They stared at one another for a moment longer. The line was about to be crossed and they knew that there was no turning back. He guided her face toward him as her body came alive with anticipation. He placed a soft, sensuous kiss on her lips that slowly and tenderly turned deeper. They were in no hurry, and welcomed each touch, each sensation that the other gave.

Mac let out a soft moan as their kiss grew deeper and as the passion slowly began to escalate. Suddenly his shirt was the enemy and she pulled it quickly out of his waistband and up over his head before impatiently returning to his kiss. Her hands explored freely the territory that had been the source of her longing for so long. He was now standing before her, bare skin exposing the muscular body and welcoming her touch. Her hands never left his body and she slowly reached down to unfasten the belt from his waistband. She pulled it completely out of the loops and then tossed it to the side; an action that drew a slight moan from Harm.

His kiss had moved from her mouth to the back of her earlobe and down her neck, sucking and kissing as if it needed to cover each and every inch for good measure. She stepped out of her shoes and flung them across the room. Breaking apart to look at one another once more, they caught their breath before he slowly and steadily guided her sundress up over her head, exposing the skin that he too had dreamt about for years. She was even more beautiful than he could fathom, and he couldn't help but say so.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered, almost as if he were talking to himself.

"I love you." She whispered back, leading him to the bed, where they both fell down in to a sea of floral print on the bedspread. His hands moved vigorously now up and down her backside, never leaving for a second. She began to work on the button of his jeans as he eagerly helped her send them to the floor. Now they lay, completely exposed in front of one another, ready to become one in the most intimate sense possible.

They spent the next hours exploring and re-exploring one another, gaining more momentum with each session instead of less. They were thirsty for each other, and intent on expressing the love that had been bottled for years. Time had been their enemy before. Now it was their friend, as it offered to stand still for them; to allow two friends to become lovers; to witness husband and wife create a bond that nothing could ever break.

Later, as the two lay tangled in the stark white hotel sheets, Harm lay on his back with his arm still protectively around her. She rested her head in his neck and drew circles lazily on his chest with her hand. Her breathing had slowed, and he welcomed the feel of her warm breath whispering on his neck. He would never get enough of this woman. He knew it right then--she was his soul mate for life. He smiled to himself at the realization that he had gone farther with her; literally and figuratively, than any woman would ever dare to take him before.

"I love you." He whispered quietly to his wife, who had since fallen asleep, held securely in the arms of the man that she loved.


	13. Close to You

The sun was setting over the ocean as the newlyweds walked hand in hand. It had been a wonderful three days and now that it was coming to an end, they wanted to absorb every last minute together. They had just enjoyed a long, romantic dinner on the water that neither would ever forget. They took turns feeding one another and enjoying the fresh seafood The waves lapped lazily in the distance, and Harm seemed more at ease than Mac had ever seen him.

"You really love to be near the water, don't you?" She observed.

"I guess that's why I joined the Navy. It's always been relaxing for me. I love the sea air, the sounds, the waves—"

"The salt in your mouth, the sand in your—" She laughed.

"Watch it, Marine. We could end up retiring out here one of these days."

"And that would be fine by me. I could deal with warm weather all year round."

"Along with all of the other thousands of retirees."

"Just don't expect me to wear white pants and go to bed at seven p.m."

He smiled at the thought. "You, in white pants and in bed early? I could go for that."

"Pervert." She tossed a piece of bread across the table at him before changing the subject. "So," She began. She knew that he wasn't looking forward to the conversation, and yet it had to be addressed. "What are your thoughts about returning to JAG?"

He let out a long sigh. "I don't know, and that's the scary thing. I never thought there would come a day when I even considered not being career military."

"And now?"

"Now, I don't know. I can't explain it."

"How long have you felt this way?"

"Not long."

She raised her eyebrow. She'd expected him to say that this has been brewing for months. He looked at her before taking another drink and setting it down on the table. "I guess it's a little bit what you said; wanting more than what happens in the courtroom."

"And you don't think that you get that from time to time?"

"Yeah, I do. I enjoy being on an investigation and interviewing clients and gathering facts."

"And we know you love a good sparring match with opposing counsel."

He smiled again. "Occasionally."

She raised her eyebrow again, begging to differ.

"Only with opposing counsel that I'm secretly in love with."

Mac had never thought of it that way before. "Why Harmon Rabb, are you implying that your feelings for me have been raging in the courtroom, when your demeanor suggests something completely otherwise?"

"Yup." 

"Care to elaborate?" Now she was intrigued.

"Nope." He smiled.

She rolled her eyes and got back to the subject at hand. "O.k., so you enjoy many aspects of your work at JAG. What is it that you don't like?"

"The red tape. The paperwork. The politics."

"I agree. What else?" 

"I don't know. I guess that's about it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I think so. I guess maybe I was just burnt out. Maybe this whole Paraguay excursion was good for both of us. Maybe we needed it to put things in perspective."

"It sounds like you're reaching a decision."

"I guess I am. Maybe I'm not done being in the Navy, although now that we're married, I don't know what the Admiral will do."

"You said yourself that he won't be too surprised."

"Yeah, but you know the regulations."

She nodded. "Well, as long as I get to see dress whites and gold wings for a few more years…"

Now he raised his eyebrow. "I thought that didn't do anything for you!" 

She smiled as the waitress came to collect the check. Standing to leave, she laughed when he couldn't let it drop. "Mac, are you telling me that all these years you've had a thing for me in my dress whites?"

"I didn't say _you_ in dress whites." She teased over her shoulder as she continued walking away.

"Oh, I see. Who, then, Sturgis?"

"You never know…" She smiled.

"Yeah, right. Sturgis doesn't have a thing on me and you know it."

"Oh, but he has." She let it slip.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, never mind." 

He stopped her in the parking lot. "What exactly is it that Sturgis has that I don't?"

"Well, nothing now. Just a little piece of information, that's all."

"Information, about what?"

"He's been sworn to secrecy."

"By whom?"

"By a convincing Marine."

"I don't like the sound of this…"

"Harm, it's nothing, really. Just let it go." She leaned up to kiss him squarely on the lips which she learned was an effective diversionary tactic.

The kiss lingered a little longer than she intended, but she wasn't about to break it. She couldn't get enough of this man. His taste, his smell, the feel of his body next to hers; it would be difficult going back to work. Once the kiss was broken, they began walking back to the hotel.

"Do you want to talk any more about work?" She asked.

"Not really. I guess we just wait to see what the Admiral has to say when he hears the big news."

"So we're in agreement that we should tell him?"

"What, you want to keep it a secret?"

"Can't say that it hasn't crossed my mind. But no, I think we should tell him."

"O.k., then. It's settled."

They walked along in silence, enjoying the sights and sounds around them.

"It's going to be hard to go back." She finally muttered.

He stopped walking to look at her, turning her gently to face him. "You're not having second thoughts about going back to JAG are you?" He asked.

"Well no. I mean, no. I'm not."

"What is it then?"

"I guess it's just hitting me that I'm not going to have you to myself all day anymore."

"You can have me all to yourself whenever you want me."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Even if you're busy at the office?"

"Promise."

"Even if you're too busy working on your car or playing basketball or going for a run or flying an F-14 or arguing a case before the judge or—"

He could see the veiled concern behind Mac's joking. He reached up to cup her face as he had done so many times in the last few days. It was his way to center her, to bring her attention fully to him so that she could look deep into his eyes and to know that what he was about to say was truth.

"You have my undivided attention, Sarah Mackenzie. Whenever you need me, I'll be there."

He leaned down to seal it with a kiss that quickly grew in intensity. "I do need you." She breathed between kisses. "So much."

The passion that was welling up between them was all the motivation that they needed to get back to their room, where the evening would end as the morning had begun; with the new lovers entwined and intent on achieving as much physical closeness as their bodies would allow.

PARAGUAY, SAME TIME  


The stewardess looked at the ticket of the little old man and handed it back to him. "Thank you for traveling with us Mr. Sanchez. Will you be staying in the States very long?"

"No." He smiled an eerie smile. "Just long enough to finish some old business." 


	14. Business as Usual

A/N: I'm going to admit to you right now that the job reassignment is likely not in accordance with actual military regulations! Please try to overlook the inaccuracy for the sake of the story line. This is a long chapter that fills in some of the blanks again, but the plot will thicken soon, I promise! Also, I apologize for the goof that was pointed out to me about Mac's last name in the previous chapter. She's a Rabb now and proud of it! Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me with this story.

* * *

"Sir, you wanted to see me?" Mac asked as she entered the Admiral's office.

"Yes, Colonel. At ease."

"How are you?"

Mac was prepared for her discussion with the Admiral to go just about anywhere, and knew that Harm would likely be a topic that would come up soon. She braced herself and maintained her typical, cool Marine exterior.

"Fine, sir. Thank you for asking." She wasn't about to spill more than she needed to, even though in her mind she wanted to scream "_I'd be a lot better if I didn't have to leave a warm bed with my insanely gorgeous husband in it this morning_." She would let the Admiral lead, and she would answer him directly and professionally.

"I take it that you enjoyed your time in Miami?"

"Yes sir."

The Admiral leaned back in his chair, studying her for a moment before continuing. She wasn't about to beg him for Harm's job back, since he'd already indicated that he was welcome to come back, but he knew these two officers well, and if they had spent this much time together and hadn't admitted their feelings, they were more dense than he thought. Somehow the topic had to be addressed.

"And what about the Commander. Is he doing o.k.?"

"Yes sir. I might not be alive if it weren't for him." She had to add that part. She couldn't help herself.

He nodded. "On a more personal note, has anything…changed between the two of you?" He could see right through her.

"Sir?" She wasn't going to hand it to him on a platter.

"Well, the Commander, before he left, he was, how should I say this, _driven_."

"His fellow officer was in trouble. It's nothing that I wouldn't have done for him."

"You would have resigned your commission?" He needed to be clear that their commitment was unwavering if he was about to offer what he wanted to offer.

"Probably so, sir."

"I see. And before he left, I asked him what he would do to keep you when he found you."

She swallowed a lump in her throat that she didn't know was there. Even though the entire JAG office had watched them deny their feelings for one another, this was still the Admiral, and he could still fly off of the handle at any given moment. She nodded.

"And?" There was a pause. He now leaned forward on his desk and removed the glasses from the end of his nose. "Damnit, Colonel, I'm not asking for a nuclear equation, here! Did Rabb tell you that he loves you or not?"

"Yes sir, he did sir. In fact, we got married." It came out quicker than she would have liked, although the burden of not telling him even for five minutes longer was too much.

She waited with bated breath for his response. A scream, a smile, anything would be better than silence. "Well it's about damn time." He said, as if one of his staff members had just shown up late for work. She let out a sigh.

"Colonel, it's no surprise that there will have to be a shuffling of jobs around here, if he is to come back, that is." She said nothing. "I assume that he wants to come back to JAG?" The Admiral and Harm had a love hate relationship at times. It was impossible for Admiral Chegwidden to deny the man's talent and sheer genius in the courtroom, but his antics and risk taking were at times more frustrating than rewarding.

"As far as I know, sir, yes. But I'm sure that the Commander would prefer speaking for himself on the matter."

"Yes, I'm sure he would. I assume that he will be reporting for duty today?"

"Yes, sir. I would expect to arrive at any minute now."

"Good. Then when he gets here, have him come to my office immediately."

"Understood, sir."

He paused a moment as she stood. "Dismissed."

"Aye aye sir."

"And Mac?"

"Yes sir?"

"I'm happy for you. But don't repeat that."

"No sir."

She cracked a small smile before turning on her heel to head back to her office. When Harm arrived thirty minutes later, it was his turn to stand before the Admiral. The last time that he was here, they had argued about his going to find Mac. Harm wasn't afraid to stand up to anyone when his convictions were put to the test and the Admiral was no exception. He would have rather given up his job than given up on Mac.

"You wanted to see me sir?"

"Yes, Commander. At ease. Have a seat."

Harm took the chair to the left of the Admiral's desk and the Admiral walked over to his window to look out before speaking. "I understand that congratulations are in order."

"Yes sir, thank you sir."

"Off the record, I'm happy for you and the Colonel."

"And on the record?"

"I need to figure out where to put two of my top attorneys."

"Any suggestions, sir?"

"Maybe, but first I need to hear your intent. If you're going to go off all half-cocked and ready to jump ship every other week, then I'm not interested in working this out. If this was a special circumstance, which I believe that it was, then I am willing to find a solution for you and the Colonel-- if I can."

"Thank you, sir. We would appreciate that."

"Right now the only thing that comes to mind is that one of you fill a vacancy from the bench. You've both filled in before and know what it's about."

"Yes sir." Harm didn't know what to think or say until he talked to Mac.

"I would have to weigh your strengths and weaknesses, but at this point I'm leaning toward the Colonel acting as judge."

"Understood, sir." Harm was actually relieved. While he enjoyed his brief stint from behind the bench, it proved to be difficult for him to keep his comments to himself.

"We could handle conflict of interest on a case by case basis. I don't foresee any problems in that regard, I just need to convince SevNav that you're worth keeping around. He's curious where my staff is concerned and knows a little too much about your recent travels."

"I understand sir."

"Well I think that about covers it. You need to talk to the Colonel and decide if this is a reasonable solution. If it is, then we can begin to move forward."

"We appreciate your cooperation, sir."

The Admiral stood from his desk, indicating that the conversation was over. "Dismissed." He said after a slight pause.

Harm couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Admiral was one step ahead of them, and this time, Harm was grateful. He walked in to Mac's office to see her chatting with a very happy Harriet. He could tell that she was probably a little too wired for Mac's liking at the moment, so he decided to interrupt.

"Harriet, good morning. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to speak to the Colonel if you don't mind."

Harriet smiled and rushed over to give him a hug, taking him by surprise. "Sir, I'm so happy for you! I was just telling the Colonel that we need to plan a reception for you. I've already been thinking about—"

Harm politely cut her off. "Uh, thank you, Harriet, but right now we have some other business to discuss." Realizing that she had completely gotten carried away with herself, she apologized and went back to her desk, still smiling.

Mac looked at Harm with curiosity on her face. "Well, how did it go?"

"Very well, actually. I think he's willing to work with us. Will you have time for lunch? I can fill you in on the details."

"I'm not sure. I'm already covered up and it's not even 0930. Maybe later?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I think I'm still cleared for duty around here, although I'm not sure in what capacity. We didn't exactly cover that."

She gave him a smile of reassurance. "It's going to be o.k., Harm. We'll work this out."

"I know we will. Call me later if you get time for lunch."

"O.k. Bye." She said quietly. It was difficult not to lean up and kiss him like she had done so freely for the last several days. She watched him leave and smiled to herself. The rollercoaster of the last couple of weeks finally seemed to be winding down. She had a career at JAG, Harm was still employed and they were married and in love. Life was good…for now.


	15. You

"Long day?" He asked as she dropped her briefcase to the floor and removed her cover.

"You have no idea."

"Well, maybe this shrimp linguine will help. Have a seat, it's almost ready." He greeted her with a kiss.

"Mmm. I could get used to this." She smiled.

"What, coming home to me every night or the food?"

"Both."

"Speaking of coming home…we probably ought to discuss our living arrangements at some point. Any thoughts?"

"Well, I like it at your place, but I don't know if you have enough space for us both. I like my apartment too, but I don't want you to have to move if you don't want to."

"I think I could handle living in Georgetown. I want us to be as settled as possible. We've lived out of suitcases enough lately."

"I second that."

Harm stood to pour himself another drink as Mac continued eating. "So, what about your talk with the Admiral? I haven't heard the details yet." 

"Yeah, I want to hear more about your talk with him too. I assume that one of us will be shifting positions."

"He thinks that maybe you should head to the bench." He was slightly apprehensive in telling her this. He wasn't sure how she would react to the news of hearing cases instead of arguing them.

She set her fork down for a moment. "I guess I could do that."

"You guess?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, it would take some getting used to, but my schedule would be a little more controlled. That part would be good."

"Mac, if you don't want to move at all you shouldn't have to. I'm the one that said I would resign my commission. If you'd rather stay where you are, I'd be happy to take another assignment."

"You don't want to do that any more than I want you to do that. Resigning your commission was a serious step and you've been given the chance to pretend like it never happened."

"And I got the girl." He smiled and leaned across the table for a much needed kiss.

"And you got the girl." She repeated, accepting his kiss and suddenly forgetting about supper.

The kissing continued until the table proved too much of a barrier. "Why don't we move over to the couch?"

"Right after I get out of these clothes. I almost went to work in a sundress today. That was becoming my uniform of choice."

He smiled as she exited the room.

"So when would I report for bench duty, did the Admiral say?" She yelled from his bedroom.

"Probably right away. Is that o.k.?"

She emerged from the bedroom wearing her USMC T-shirt and her favorite gray cotton shorts. "Harm, you don't have to keep asking me if it's o.k. I'll be fine, really."

"It's just that if we weren't, you know, married, we wouldn't have to be worried about this at all."

"But we are married, and I'm glad. Come on, we both knew in the back of our minds that this could happen someday."

"Why Marine, there you go again. Hinting that you have longed for me and dreamed of the day when you would be my wife." He gloated.

"Don't get too cocky, Flyboy. You know what I mean. The regulations come with the military. It's not anything new for fellow officers to fall in love and get married." She stretched out on the couch and placed her head in his lap.

"So do we want to officially move you to my place?"

"It's only fair. You switch jobs, I switch apartments."

"You surprise me, Flyboy. I thought you might have a little more trouble giving up this place. It's been your bachelor pad for so long. Are you sure you don't want to keep it kind of as a hideaway in case your blonde bimbo phase hits you again?" She laughed.

"Blonde bimbos, huh? Well, no. I don't want to keep it. This place is part of my past now. And you are my future." He leaned down to kiss her. 

"Good answer." She said through the kiss. "Now, why don't we talk more about this in the bedroom? I missed my husband today."

As she stood to pull him off of the couch, he said, "That's funny, because I missed my wife."

They continued kissing as they walked slowly back to the bedroom, hands never leaving the other's body. No more words were spoken; none were needed.

THREE WEEKS LATER

"Sustained. Counsel, watch your step." Mac ordered from the bench. It had taken her less time than she imagined to get used to being a judge. In fact, she kind of liked it. She pounded her gavel, an action that she rather enjoyed. "Court will be in session at 0900 tomorrow. I suggest, Counsel, that you have your thoughts together by then."

As she made her way to chambers, she noticed a note on her door. Removing it before walking in, she took off her robe and opened the envelope. "Mac, I have to head to Blacksburg this evening. The Stein case has taken a turn in my favor. Gotta check out this lead. I'll call you when I get there. It shouldn't take long. Love you, Harm."

"Great." She muttered to herself. Glancing at the clock, she realized that it was time to head home anyway. She gathered her belongings and locked the office door behind her.

Turning quickly to leave, she accidentally bumped in to the janitor's cart behind her. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She said, looking at the elderly man who was holding a mop. 

"Not a problem." He nodded kindly, before getting back to his job. She smiled again and headed to the elevator.

Take out Chinese food and a long bath would keep her busy until Harm called. It had been an adjustment for them to not seeing each other as often, but it made them cherish their time together even more. Mac was beginning to think about a reception after all. Harriet wouldn't let it drop, and the more she offered ideas, the more Mac began to warm to the idea. In fact, Harriet and Mac had spent little time together, so Mac decided to pick up the phone and give her a call.

"Harriet. Hi, yeah it's me. I'm wondering if Bud would let you out of the house for awhile tonight. Do you want to grab some dinner so we can catch up? Yeah? O.k., great. I'll meet you then."

She hung up the phone and turned her car around in the parking lot to head the other direction. It was two hours later when she and Harriet finished their dinner. The laughter had been good for them both. 

"Tell Bud thanks for me, Harriet. And give the kids my love."

"I will. And let me know what you think of those dates. I'd be happy to help you with all the details."

"Bye." 

"Bye. See you tomorrow."

Harriet headed off to her minivan across the lot. Mac smiled to herself as she thought of a reception with Harm. It would be a chance to profess their love in front of all of their friends, unlike they had been able to do in Brazil. She dropped her keys getting them out of her purse and when she bent down to grab them, realized that she was now staring at a pair of men's black shoes. Suddenly a shiver went down her spine as she stood slowly to greet the pair of eyes that were before her.

"You." She said.


	16. Couldn't Stay Away

"Sarah. It is good to see you again."

"I wish that I could say the same."

Sadiq smiled. "You and me, we have some unfinished business to discuss."

"I don't think so."

"Ah, but you left in such a hurry."

"Yes, I did. Something about being tortured to death doesn't really make a girl want to stick around for the party."

"You underestimate me."

"You overestimate yourself."

"American woman. Still outspoken and—"

"And what, Sadiq? Angry? Enraged? Yes, I am. You're a murderer."

"Let's talk."

"Go to hell."

He smiled again and she wanted to smack him for it. "You have been busy lately I understand."

She said nothing. "The man who saved you, he is your new love?"

She remained quiet. "I see. Well, Sarah, if you're going to be difficult, then I suggest that you have change of heart."

"You just couldn't stay away, could you Sadiq?"

Tired of his bantering, she reached inside of her purse. He stopped for a moment to observe. "What, are you scared? Scared that I might blow your brains all to hell right here in the parking lot? I should be so lucky. No, Sadiq." She pulled out her cell phone and began to dial. "I'm ending this game once and for all."

At this he grew angry and knocked her phone out of her hand. "You'll do no such thing!" He yelled, clearly losing his cool. He looked around the parking lot to see if he had drawn attention to himself. Unfortunately for Mac, she had parked far enough away that no one really paid attention to his outburst. This was a delicate situation. He was angry and yet seemed reckless.

Just as she was considering her options, her cell phone began to ring. Thankfully the battery hadn't fallen out when it fell to the ground. Instinctively she rushed to pick it up off of the ground, knowing that it might be Harm. "Hello?" She answered quickly. When she turned around to find Sadiq, he was gone. "Hold on." She said. Her eyes scanned the parking lot several times looking for any sign of him. It was like he disappeared in to thin air. "Damnit!" She said, before getting in her car and locking it.

"Mac? What is it? Is something wrong?"

Mac took a deep breath. She knew that Harm would go ballistic when he heard that Sadiq had contacted her and yet she couldn't keep the truth from him.

"Harm—" She began. Trying to remain calm and not cause panic, she took a deep breath. "Uh, how is your investigation going?"

He knew that something was wrong. "Fine, but tell me what's going on with you?"

"When do you think you'll be home?"

"Tomorrow morning at the latest. Why? Sarah, talk to me."

Suddenly the weight of the situation hit her. Trying to fight back tears, she bit her lip and told him. "It's Sadiq. He's here."

"_WHAT_?" His voice could have been heard for miles. "Sarah, when, what happened? Where are you? I'm coming home."

"Harm, calm down. I'm o.k. I pissed him off, but I'm o.k. I'm at the Golden Dragon. Harriet and I had dinner and when I came out to my car, he was waiting."

"Bastard! Was he in disguise?" Harm yelled. "Did he hurt you? What did he say?" His anger and his curiosity were dueling for position.

"No, actually. He looked similar to what he did in Paraguay. I'm surprised, actually, at his nerve, but I'm fine, Harm. Really. I don't want you to worry. He wanted me to go with him to talk somewhere." She sneered. "What does he take me for, anyway?" She asked no one in particular.

"Mac, where are you now? You've got to get away from there to some place safe. Don't go home. Don't go to my place. You need to go to a hotel or something for the night. I'm packing my bags right now."

"Harm, really. I'm fine. I know that you're worried and yes, I am a little freaked out, but I can handle this." He barely let her finish before cutting her off.

"Like hell you can! Mac—"

At this, she snapped. "Damnit, Harm! I don't need you to come and rescue me all the time, o.k.?" She was surprised at her own words. Silence fell on the other end of the line and she tried to regain her composure. "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean—" She knew that she meant it. "I just don't want you to worry, that's all. I think he wants to test the waters and to see if he can scare me or not. I won't let him, Harm. I won't let him get to me this time."

"Mac, he's already gotten to you. That's what worries me. How do we know he won't try this again?"

"I'm sure that he will. It's part of his game. He'll make me wait for awhile and then try to contact me again, but not tonight. I'm sure of it."

"What do you want me to do?"

His question was sincere and calm, just the way she needed him to be. She closed her eyes and laid her head back on the seat. "I need you to help me figure out what to do."

"O.k., then here's what we do."

Once Harm calmed down and thought about the situation for a moment, he advised Mac to get in touch with the Admiral. They knew that since the botched attempt by the CIA and Kershaw's death, that there had been a big shakedown and weren't sure who to contact from intelligence. They decided that they would start with the Admiral and hoped that he could guide them from there. He often knew of the rumblings in other departments in Washington, and they hoped that he could recommend a trustworthy source for them to contact.

After Mac had spoken at length with the Admiral, she called Harm back to fill him in. "I'm at the downtown Mariott." She said. "Room 231 if you need to call, but I'll have my cell phone on too." She felt badly that she had snapped at him, even though now he seemed reasonably level-headed. For the moment, anyway.

She kicked off her shoes and fell on to the bed with the phone to her ear. "Are you o.k.?" She asked.

"I'm fine, Mac. I just don't like being this far away from you."

"I don't like it either. But you'll be home tomorrow and we'll work this out. I promise."

"Sadiq obviously still has a few tricks up his sleeve. I mean, to approach you when you were alone like that. I wonder how he even knew where to find you." His questions were snowballing in to anxiety again. "It's like he knew that I wouldn't be around, or something. But how could he have known?"

Trying to calm him once more, Mac reasoned with him to let it go for the time being. "Harm, I don't know all of the answers. He's a smart and cunning man. We could drive ourselves crazy trying to figure him out. The Admiral knows and is going to put us in touch with someone tomorrow after you get back. He suggested that an undercover watch my place for the time being. For now, our bases are covered." She was surprised at her own level of calmness at this point. If she let herself think about it for too long, the thought of seeing Sadiq again would bring her to tears.

"How come you're so calm?" He asked.

"Because I'm talking to you."

He smiled for the first time in hours.

"Be careful driving back in the morning, o.k.?" She continued.

"Are you going to be able to sleep?" He asked.

"Oh, I don't know. I might surprise myself. I'm pretty worn out."

"Try to get some rest. And call me if you hear _anything_."

"Will do. I love you."

"I love you too. Goodnight."

It was four hours later when Mac awakened to the sound of someone outside her door. She glanced at the clock and then jumped out of bed, heading for the door. Looking outside the peephole, she was ecstatic. "Harm, what are you doing here? I thought you were coming back in the morning!" She hugged him for dear life.

"I couldn't stay away." He locked the door behind him and dropped his sea bag. She leaned up to kiss him as he pulled her even closer.

"I'm glad you're here." She said, leading him over to the bed, where they both collapsed and finally found rest in one another's arms.


	17. Well?

TWO DAYS LATER

"Did the Admiral say what his name is?" Harm asked, looking around for any sign of a possible CIA agent.

"No, but he said that he looked the part, whatever that means. Where are you? I can't see you for all these little…plants."

"Mac, they're bonsai trees."

"Well there's too many of them."

"What did you expect? Haven't you been to the arboretum before?"

"No. Can't say that I'll be back, either. Wait, I think I see someone."

"Where? I'm on the second level. I can see you."

"Blue suit, to my left. Sitting on the bench in front of the little tree display."

"Bonsai display."

"Same thing. I'm going to sit down. I'll call you back when I'm done."

She flipped her phone shut and put it back in to her purse. She sat on the other end of the bench and waited for him to speak first as she'd been told.

"Nice day out, isn't it?" That was her cue.

She looked ahead and replied, "Yes, it is. I hope it lasts."

He smiled and took a drink of his coffee, never looking her in the eye.

"How long is Rabb going to stare at us?"

"You saw him?"

"Only the minute that he walked in the door. We can't be having him play shadow like this if our mutual friend tries to contact you again."

"He's a little protective."

"So I gathered."

"Can I ask your name?" She kept smiling and looking around as if she were just making small talk with a stranger.

"Jameson."

"Well, Mr. Jameson, how are you going to help me? My last experience with your agency was less than pleasurable."

"I understand and I'm sorry about that. You were taken in by a bad apple, but I assure you that Kershaw did not set the bar for the rest of us."

"And what about Webb?"

"What about him?"

"Was he…aware of everything before it happened?"

"We don't think so. It seemed as much of a surprise to him as it did to the rest of us. But just to be safe he's on extended leave."

"So he doesn't know…"

"No. Nor should he. The last thing that we need is an agent with a grudge back on this case."

"I agree."

"I've left a file for you in the café over there. There's a table for two and a warm coffee cup sitting there. The bag to the left is yours. It's got my contact info as well as some photos that you might consider studying. Our friend is a chameleon and we don't want you to be surprised."

"Believe me, I don't think I can be surprised anymore."

"That's good. You've got to be on your toes at all times."

"What do you think he wants to do next?"

"No telling, but if I had to guess, he'll be contacting you again soon. You're the reason he's here. He's got a score to settle and he doesn't want to waste time. However, he'll expect that you would have gotten in touch with the authorities, so he might be able to wait longer than we would like. It's hard to say."

"Gee, thanks for the definitive answer." She kept a smile plastered on her face as she continued talking.

"Look through the file and program me in to your cell phone. I want to know if you hear from him day or night. We've got an undercover on your apartment, so feel free to go home. I'll be in touch."

"Thanks."

He stood to leave and just as Mac reached for her phone to call Harm again, he came walking up. "Well?"

She jumped. "Sheez, Harm!"

"Sorry. What did he say?"

"Well for one, that you need to be a little less obvious." She stood to walk over to the café.

"He did not."

"Yes, he did. Walk with me."

"Do you trust him?"

"Well, he seems to be o.k., but we only talked for about five minutes. I'm supposed to grab this file and look it over. We're all clear to go home." She smiled.

"There's someone watching the apartment?"

"Yes."

"What if he's lying?"

"Harm, he didn't seem like a liar. He seemed by the book. Besides, we can't keep second guessing everyone that comes our way. We'll give him a shot and see how he handles himself, but my instinct says that he's o.k."

"O.k., then let's go home."

TWO HOURS LATER

"Did you see this one? Carlos Rodriguez. He's actually got blonde hair!" Mac held out a picture from the file to hand to Harm.

"He does have the art of disguise mastered. What else, anything?"

"No, not really. Lots of unpredictable appearances and never the same alias twice. He's good, I'll give him that."

"So what did Jameson say that we do next?"

She smiled when she heard the word "we."

"What?"

"Nothing. You asked what he wanted 'us' to do next. I don't recall your name being brought up other than 'tell Rabb to go hide'." She chided.

"Mac, you're not in this alone."

"I know that." She said, smiling again.

"What am I missing here?"

She laid the photos and the folder on the coffee table. "Nothing, Sailor. You're cute, that's all." She began to plant small kisses on his neck.

"Cute?"

"Mmm-hmmm."

"Well, cute isn't going to do you any good when Sadiq approaches you again." He said, tugging on her arm to get her to look at him.

She became serious now as he continued. "Mac, we need some ground rules. From now on, we ride to work and ride home together. I want you to check in with me as often as you can throughout the day and I'll do the same."

"Harm, we work in the same building. I really don't think it will be that difficult to keep tabs on each other, but I see what you're saying. You might get sick of me, but I'll do it."

"Sick? Of you?" Now he was feeling more at ease. "Never." He leaned forward to kiss her. "I just want you to be prepared. I'm not letting that animal hurt you again."

"I know. I'll be safe, I promise."

"Good, because from what Harriet's been telling Bud, you and I have a reception to plan."

"Yes, I think we do." She smiled, curling up into his arms on the couch. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea. But just a reception?"

"What do you mean, what else would it be?"

"I don't know. Maybe a renewing of our vows in front of all our friends."

She turned to look at him. "Really? You'd want to do that?"

"Yeah, I mean. I'm only going to be married once and I feel like celebrating with everyone we know."

"O.k. then. We'll work that in to the plans."

"Can I make one more request?"

"Sure…"

"Can you wear that blonde wig and those—"

She smacked him on the arm. "No, it's not Mrs. Jasper's ceremony. It's mine."

He kissed the top of her head and laughed. "I'm just kidding. But you did look kind of hot in that dress."

"And what about you, Flyboy? Still got the beret?"

"And what if I do?" He began nuzzling her neck, causing her to laugh.

She stood from the couch and reached out to help him up. "Mmm, I don't know. I'm sure I could think of something." She smiled as she led him to the bedroom.

"What about dress whites, gold wings _and _the beret?" He laughed as he followed her in to the room and closed the door.

"I told you, enough with the dress whites." She silenced him with a kiss that lasted long enough for him to forget his own name. And the beret.

* * *

A/N: This is starting to feel like more labor than love! I'll get there, I promise, but I don't want to jump too quickly in to the action. We need to give these two a little time to be a couple and for us to invest in the little things that they share as well as the big. Hang with me and thanks for reviewing! 


	18. It's Ok

Three Days Later  


"What do you think about the appetizers, meatballs or chicken wings?" Harriet asked Mac as she followed her in to her office.

"Chicken wings? Definitely not. I'm all for informal, but I don't want people licking their fingers!" She giggled. Planning the reception with Harriet was fun. Her relationship with Harm had been a long time in the making, and while they liked to keep it private most of the time, a public declaration was just what they both needed and what their peers looked forward to. She made her way around the janitor's cart and to the elevator with Harriet. "Shoot, Harriet, I forgot my calendar. I'm going to go back to grab it. Tell Harm I'll meet you guys in a minute."

"Sure, we'll see you down there." Harriet said as she stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button. "I'll tell him that we said no rabbit food at the reception." She laughed as the doors closed.

Mac turned around to head back to her office, again stepping around the janitor's cart. She reached for her key to unlock the door and stepped in to her office to grab the calendar off of her desk, never bothering toclose the door behind her. When she turned around, her face went pale.

The janitor, whom she kicked herself for not recognizing sooner, stood before her with a gun. He closed the door behind him and locked it.

"Bastard." She whispered.

"Sarah, did you think I would leave without saying goodbye?"

"I was hoping."

"We never had our talk."

"You're crazy if you think we can 'talk' here. This office will be surrounded in no time once they figure out that I'm not where I said I would be."

"I'll take my chances. You are a busy woman."

"Too busy for you."

"Your irreverence…it angers me."

"I'm supposed to be respectful of you?"

"A proper woman would."

"O.k., so I'm not proper. Thank you for traveling all this way to point that out, now goodbye." She stepped forward.

"Ah, ah, ah." He waved the gun slightly. "Have a seat."

"I'd rather stand."

"Sit, Sarah!" He yelled.

"Or what?" She was getting tired of this man and his arrogance.

Just like in Paraguay, the back of his hand came in hard contact with her face.

"I said sit."

She lifted her hand to her burning cheek, more angry than ever. "I'll sit when I want to sit!" She braved.

Again, he struck her. "Stupid woman."

"Arrogant bastard." She dared. The level of anger that had so quickly welled up inside of her caught her off guard. It was like she was functioning on auto pilot. She had to get out of here before he became desperate. She knew that he liked to be in control, so she decided to back off, for now. Still holding her cheek, she walked behind her desk and sat down.

"That's better." He said. He began to look around her office, rubbing his hand over the desk and picking up a picture of her and Harm in a silver frame. It made her sick that he was looking at it.

It suddenly occurred to her that her cell phone was in her purse still on her shoulder. She set it down in one quick motion, which didn't seem to bother him. She appeared as though she was getting comfortable for their discussion. If she could just get her cell phone out somehow, maybe she could call Harm or even Jameson. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but she wanted someone to know what was happening. Before she could think about it further, it rang from inside of her purse.

He shot her a glare. "You will not answer it."

"If I don't, they'll know that something is wrong and they'll be here quicker than you can say 'dead man'." He considered this and then nodded. "But no games, or you'll be the dead one."

"Hello?" She grabbed it out of her purse. It was Harm.

"Hey, where are you? Harriet said you would meet us down here. I'm about to come looking for you."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry." She looked at Sadiq who was now pointing his gun inches from her face. "I bumped into Sam Ferguson and he decided that now would be a good time to confer on the Rodriguez case." Harm was obviously confused.

"Sam Ferguson? Do I know him?"

"Yeah, you do." Worried that the conversation would take too long, she decided to wrap it up. "Well listen, he's not a man that you like to keep waiting, so I have to get back. I'll see you soon."

"Mac, what is—"

She hung up before he could say anything else.

"Set it on the table." Sadiq ordered. "No more phone calls today."

"Sadiq, you need to understand that people are going to get suspicious. I don't see what you could possibly accomplish with a gun to my face, in my office in a government building. This doesn't make sense."

"That's why we're leaving."

She was not anticipating that comment. "You think I'm foolish, Sarah. No, I have planned this for weeks now. Come, we're leaving. And if you see anyone, you pretend like you're fine or I will not hesitate to kill you."

"And then you will be killed."

"And then I will be with Allah." He smiled briefly as ifforgetting for a moment what he was doing.

She could sense that he was beginning to get agitated again, but she was at his mercy.

"O.k., but you have to know that this will never work."

"_Now_."

They left her office and rounded the corner to the elevator. Thankfully for him, no one was inside. Just as he leaned forward to push the button, Harm appeared before them. "Mac, what are you—"

Sadiq raised the gun and pointed it at her head. "Sarah is leaving now. If you take one step, she will die." Mac had never seen such a look of fear spread across anyone's face so quickly. Harm raised his hands but he didn't like it. "You'll never get her out of here." He said.

Just then the doors closed and she could hear Harm from the other side, yelling. "Mac, it's o.k.!" The elevator began its descent before she could hear the rest of what he said. Now Sadiq had her hands behind her back and the gun not far behind.

Harm rushed to the nearest phone in the office and dialed Jameson's cell phone. "Sadiq, he's got Mac and he's trying to leave. Get here yesterday!" He yelled before hanging up.

"Everyone, we have a hostage situation going on!" He yelled again. "Stay where you are until further instruction. "You, call security and tell them there's a man with a gun and my wife on the elevator. Hurry!" He screamed at the frightened officer in front of him that he'd never seen before.

He ran out of the office and down the nearest flight of stairs. They could either be going to the first or second floors or to the basement. The fact that he'd said they were leaving clued Harm in to the fact that he was probably going to try to walk right out with her.

He plowed over anyone in his way and came barreling out to the lobby. There was no sign of them. He searched the offices around him and did not see t hem. Remembering the back door, he raced over to see it close before him. Busting it open, he saw Sadiq and Mac turn around.

"You just made a very big mistake." Sadiq said, shaking the gun next to her head and practically choking her with his other arm.

"I'm not letting you leave here with my wife."

Sadiq laughed and evil laugh. "You have no choice! You Americans. All so foolish. And _stupid_! Step away or she dies."

Mac looked at him with pleading in her eyes. It was difficult, but she nodded, indicating that he should let her go. A single tear slid down her face which broke his heart into a million pieces. "Mac, I can't let him take you!"

Without a weapon, he was not a threat. Soon there were sirens sounding from the front of the building which sent Sadiq into a panic. "Stay there!" He screamed again, now walking backwards to the car that was parked behind him. He opened the door with the gun still in his hand. Mac knew that if he got away with her in the car, she had no hope. Looking at Harm, she knew that this was her only chance. As he opened the door and tried to force her inside, she made an attempt to grab the gun in one swift motion and a struggle ensued.

Rushing to her aide, Harm was terrified when he heard not one, but two shots go off before the gun fell to the ground. Sadiq had a smile on his face as he and Mac separated, both with blood on their clothing. "Stupid American." He muttered, before falling to the ground.

Mac was in shock. When Harm approached her, he assumed that she was fine. He turned her to give her a hug and then realized that she was holding her stomach and blood was flowing. She let out a soft moan before collapsing to the ground beside Sadiq.

"Oh dear God. Mac, Mac!" He screamed, checking her pulse. "Somebody get an ambulance!" He yelled to the gathering agents who had heard the gunfire. "Hang on, baby. Just hang on!" Her eyes went shut and she was limp on the ground in his arms.

He heard a noise coming from Sadiq. When he turned to look at him, a small stream of blood was flowing from his mouth and the same eerie smile was on his face. He was choking, but said the word "Fools." Before Harm knew what was happening, he reached for the gun and pointed it directly at Sadiq.

"Rabb! Put the weapon down!" He had no idea who was yelling his name. All he knew was that justice had to be served. Right here, right now. Without giving it another thought, he fired the gun at point blank range into Sadiq's body not once, but two times, taking an evil pleasure with each pull of the trigger.

By now they were surrounded by paramedics and agents. Mac still lay unconscious as they loaded her on to a stretcher. Blood stained her entire front and Harm's as well. He was gripped with fear once again as she did not respond. "Mac, it's o.k. He's gone now. He can't hurt you anymore." He rubbed her forehead as the paramedics moved the stretcher on to the ambulance.

The Admiral was now on the scene and his eyes were bigger than saucers. "Rabb, what is it? What the hell happened?"

Harm was unable to speak. He bit his lower lip in an effort to not lose control of the emotions that no longer wanted to stay in check. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed firmly on Mac and climbed in to the back of the ambulance, taking a seat beside her. The paramedics had placed an oxygen mask on her face and continued to check her vitals, paying no attention to the man who sat holding her hand to his face, whispering. "It's o.k., Mac. It's o.k. You're going to be o.k."


	19. It's Over

A/N: Minor fluff alert. I usually try to avoid mindless ga-ga interaction between them but hopefully the circumstance warrants the emotion. Can't thank you all enough for your reviews! There will be another chapter or two after this.

* * *

"They're taking her back to surgery now, sir. If you will have a seat in the waiting room, we'll let you know as soon as we know something." The nurse informed Harm. 

"Can I see her?"

"Not until she's out of surgery. The waiting room is down the hall and to your left." She turned and made her way through the large automatic doors. Harm turned to go back to the waiting room. He hated to wait, especially when he had no idea what was going on with Mac.

He took a seat on the sofa and rubbed his hands over his eyes. His uniform, still completely stained, was the last thing on his mind. He drew a stare from the elderly gentleman across the room, but paid no attention. Thoughts of the incident came flooding back in to his mind. What could he have done differently? Sadiq been working as a janitor! Damn. The man had been that close for weeks, probably, taking note of Mac's comings and goings every single day. The thought made him sick.

With his hand still covering his now closed eyes, he heard the sound of the elevator doors opening. "Sir?" It was Harriet, Bud and Sturgis, but he was less than happy to see them, too consumed with worry.

"Sir, I am so sorry." Harriet began to cry. "I should have never let her go back for her calendar by herself." She continued. Bud placed a hand on her back.

"You didn't know, Harriet." It was all that Harm could say. Truth be told, he was in no mood to console someone else right now. Harriet's emotions were usually on her sleeve, and right now he needed someone with a stiff upper lip. Almost reading his mind, Bud led her gently to the chairs next to the couch where she sobbed in his arms.

"Do they know anything yet?" Sturgis asked calmly.

"No, not yet. She's in surgery now."

"Do you need anything right now?"

"No, thanks. Just gonna…wait here."

"Mind if I sit down?"

Harm motioned for Sturgis to take a seat. They sat together in silence, both knowing the other well enough to feel comfortable doing so. When Harm was ready, he spoke. "The bastard was in the building, Sturgis."

"I know."

"How? How could he get in like that and get a job, no less?" He was theorizing out loud now.

"I don't know, but the Admiral will make sure that nothing like this ever happens again, I assure you."

Harm felt better being able to talk, even though he didn't really know what he was saying.

"It's going to come down on me, isn't it." It was more of a statement than a question.

Sturgis said nothing, but looked down at the cap that he held in his hands. "There will probably be an investigation."

Harm nodded.

"You don't need to worry about that right now, o.k.? Right now you need to focus on getting Mac out of here."

"I know."

The two sat in silence for several more minutes.

"He's dead, isn't he?" Harm assumed, but needed to know for sure.

"They pronounced him dead on the scene, yes."

A slow smile spread across Harm's face. "Good."

Bud and Harriet offered to get the men some coffee, and Harm pretended to be thankful, just to get some space.

"Sturgis, what would you have done?"

Sturgis knew where this was headed. "I don't know, Harm. I honestly can't say."

"Do you know how long I've loved her?" He smiled to himself at the thought.

"Probably about as long as she's loved you." He welcomed the change in topic.

"I don't know about that."

"Oh, I do." Sturgis offered.

This caught Harm's attention. "What? What do you mean?"

"Ahh…nothing, really. We've all seen you two avoid your feelings for years, that's all. It's been obvious to everyone but the two of you."

"Mac told me in Miami that you had something on me."

Sturgis smiled. "She can be a very intimidating Marine." They laughed, or attempted to.

"You got that right." Harm replied.

"She's tough, buddy. She'll pull through this."

"Thanks, Sturgis. Thanks for…being here."

The talking ended and the two waited in complete silence for another hour when the doctor finally emerged, removing his surgeon's mask from his face and allowing it to drop below his chin.

"Commander Rabb?" He offered his hand in greeting.

"How is she?" Harm asked, standing to hear clearly every word that he was going to say.

"She's stable for now. The bullet was lodged in the liver area, so it was touch and go for awhile, but I think that everything's fine."

Harm let out a long overdue sigh. "Oh thank God. When can I see her?"

"She's going to be pretty out of it for awhile. No visitors except for yourself for the first 24 hours. We'll monitor her progress. She's still not completely out of the woods. She suffered a major trauma and her body went in to shock. Keep things quiet, and you can stay with her tonight."

"Thank you, doctor. Thank you for everything."

Sturgis was there smiling when Harm turned around. Instinctively, Harm embraced him.

"That's good news, buddy." Sturgis said.

Realizing that Harm's uniform was still stained and that he had just embraced Sturgis, he quickly offered an apology. "I'm…sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"It's o.k., really."

Harriet and Bud heard the news as well and couldn't help but give one another a hug of joy. "Commander, we'd like to help. Why don't we go back to the apartment and grab some clothes for you?"

He nodded. "That would be great, thanks guys."

The nurse came and told Harm that he could go back to see her. "Thank you for coming. I appreciate it." He told the three.

"We'll let the Admiral know. Keep us posted." Sturgis offered.

"Thanks." He shook his hand once more and headed back with the nurse to Mac's room.

"She's still very groggy, so let her rest as much as possible. She's going to be in a lot of pain for the next several hours, but we'll keep her as comfortable as possible." The nurse spoke quietly before opening the door.

As Harm walked in the room, tears filled his eyes. They had been waiting to fall for hours now, and finally made their escape, rolling freely down his cheeks. He pulled a chair up quietly beside her and lifted her hand to his face.

"Sarah, thank God you're all right." He whispered. He kissed her now tear stained hand and reached up to wipe a hair out of her face. She was still wearing an oxygen mask, and the tubes were coming in and going out of her arms, but he didn't care. He needed to touch her, to feel her skin on his and to remind himself that she was alive and that she was going to be o.k. "The nightmare is finally over." He whispered again through quiet sobs. "It's over."


	20. Home

Mac's eyes began to flutter open and closed as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. The room was dark, there was something beeping next to her, and she felt something heavy on her arm. Deciding for a moment that it was too much to figure out, she closed her eyes again, welcoming the rest that her exhausted body needed. She wasn't sure if it was ten seconds or two hours later, but she opened her eyes again, this time with more success.

She tried to change her position, but quickly realized that that was impossible. She felt heavy, immobile, and…sore. Feeling the sensation of her hand moving underneath his sleeping form, Harm sat up straight and looked at Mac for any sign of life. When he saw that her eyes were open and that she was looking directly at him, he was elated.

"Mac! Thank God." He leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead and again on the cheek and then hand. "How do you feel? No wait, don't answer that. I'm going to call for the nurse." He pushed the call button on the side of her bed and continued to stare at her with relief and an immense feeling of joy.

"Is everything o.k.?" The nurse asked as she walked in.

"She's awake." Harm beamed.

Mac still said nothing, but groaned a little bit. "Mrs. Rabb, are you in pain?" The nurse asked, to which Mac simply nodded her head.

"O.k., we'll see about getting you some more pain meds, but now that you're awake, I need to have the doctor check your vitals, o.k.?" She was talking as if Mac were a complete invalid, which Mac didn't understand. Recognizing the confusion in her eyes, Harm squeezed her hand and looked at her.

"Mac, do you know why you're here?"

Her mouth was dry and she had trouble finding the energy to form a sentence.

"Sadiq." She mouthed.

"Yes, that's right. You were shot, but you're going to be o.k. You had surgery, but everything is fine."

Everything did not feel fine to her. She was disoriented, hurting and had more questions than her dry mouth would let her ask. Her brown eyes were pleading with Harm. He ran his hand down her hair and assured her, "It's o.k., Mac. He can't hurt us anymore." He smiled. As if this was the reassurance that she needed, she nodded slightly and closed her eyes once more. Being awake was taking too much effort, and by the time the doctor came back in, she was sound asleep.

"That's o.k. It's good that she's resting." He told Harm. "Try to disturb her as little as possible. We don't want her to over-do it this early in recovery. She needs to stay as calm and as quiet as possible."

Harm nodded in agreement, and then laid his head back down on the side of her bed. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, he felt her frail hand slide out from under his cheek and rest gently on the back of his neck. He didn't move. He just smiled and thanked God that she was going to be o.k. He knew it now. She was going to be o.k.

FOUR DAYS LATER

"Harm, I'm o.k. where I'm at, really." She smiled. Since she'd gotten home he'd been waiting on her hand and foot, and now he seemed convinced that she needed another pillow behind her in bed.

"Are you sure? Because you look a little uncomfortable."

"The only way that I'll be more comfortable is if you climb in bed with me, Sailor. You're been running around non-stop since we got home." She patted the bed beside her.

He climbed in gently beside her and lay his head to rest on the pillow beside her, lifting her hand in his and bringing it to his mouth for a soft kiss.

"You're spoiling me." She smiled.

"You deserve it."

"I don't need special treatment, you know. I like it, but I don't need it." They hadn't really discussed the shooting yet. She could tell that Harm was trying to keep his mind off it either for her sake or for his own. He sat in silence.

"Harm, talk to me." She turned on her side as much as she possibly could to face him.

"He was right under my nose."

"He was right under _our_ noses." She corrected. "He was a brilliant con artist that manipulated his way in to my office. You couldn't have possibly known that he would be there."

"I should have been alert."

"You were alert, Harm. I don't want you second-guessing yourself anymore, o.k.? He's gone. Forever."

Harm looked down in response to her last comment. "About that…" He began.

"What? What is it?"

"I may be in some hot water. Maybe even an Article 32 hearing."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I shot him, Mac."

She was surprised. "What do you mean you shot him?"

"I mean, that he lay there dying, and I picked up the gun and I shot him two more times."

She thought for a moment before saying, "Anyone would understand why you did that, Harm. I certainly don't fault you for it."

"I should have known better. He was unarmed, already injured and they were yelling at me to stop."

"Harm, this man had just shot your wife, not to mention endangered your life previously in Paraguay. I don't want you to give this another thought, o.k.? Even if there is a hearing, you'll accept no blame for this, do you hear me?"

"I know. That's the scary thing. I don't feel bad about doing it. In fact, I've never felt more pleasure from shooting a gun." He laughed in disbelief. "Tell me how that's going to look in a hearing."

"We're not going to worry about it. What happens, happens." She leaned in to kiss him but could see that he was still replaying it all in his mind. "You know that I would have done the same thing."

"You would? No you wouldn't."

"Yes, I most certainly would. If he had been holding a gun to your head and if I thought that he was going to take you away, I would have done whatever bodily harm that I could to him, right or wrong."

"I guess that's love, isn't it?"

"I guess it is." She smiled and kissed him once more, this one lasting longer than the last.

"It's probably a good thing we're not partners anymore." He thought aloud.

"Why is that?"

"Because we seem to have lost our objectivity." He smiled.

"Yeah, but we still make a great team."

"Yes we do, Mrs. Rabb. We do." He smiled again and kissed her deeply for the first time since all of this happened. She was home now. They were a family, and the nightmare named Sadiq was finally over.

* * *

A/N: The drama is officially over and it's time to wrap this up with some romance. I am purposefully avoiding the saga of Harm's possible Article 32. I'm sorry if that bothers some of you, but quite frankly I don't trust that I could accurately pull it off. My knowledge of military rules and regulations is quite limited, therefore I'm choosing avoidance over inaccuracy. Your reviews have been so encouraging! Another chapter will follow soon.  
  



	21. Shall We?

Six Weeks Later

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" Bud stood from his seat and spoke into the microphone. "It's time to make a toast to the bride and the groom. For years now we've all see how much these two love each other, we were only waiting for them to realize it as well. And now that they have, well, let's just say that the office pool is officially closed." Everyone laughed as Harm and Mac looked at each other with open mouths.

"Did you know?" She whispered.

Harm shook his head no and smiled with shrugged shoulders.

"Anyway, to say that we are happy for you doesn't begin to describe the feelings of every person in this room. Colonel, you have stood toe to toe with the Commander as his opponent, adversary, partner and friend in a way that no one else ever has. You seem to have an insight that the rest of us don't have. You know when to push and when to back away, always maintaining the utmost level of respect for Commander Rabb." Mac smiled a warm smile as she listened to Bud. "Commander, well…you're one of the few Squids that's dared to cross hostile territory to be with the Jarhead of his dreams." Again Bud drew laughter. Harm had expected a more heartfelt compliment like Mac had just gotten, but he was happy to play along.

"But in all seriousness, I think that I speak for all of us here when I say, congratulations. May you continue your journey in life as partners, friends and now husband and wife." Bud raised his glass, signaling everyone else to do so as well. "To Harm and Mac. May happiness find you always."

"Here, here!" The crowd echoed as they raised their glasses to toast the bride and groom. Instead of taking drinks of their own, however, Harm and Mac were locked in a tender kiss.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." He replied.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the couple of the evening to share their first dance."

Harm smiled and stood, reaching for Mac's hand as he guided her on to the dance floor. She looked radiant in a straight, champagne colored gown that complimented her skin tone and hugged her in all the right places. She wore a simple pearl and diamond necklace with matching earrings. Her hair rested in slight curls on her shoulders. Harm had never seen her look more radiant and had yet to tire of telling her so. The rest of the room fell away as Harm took her in his arms and began to hold her tightly. As the song "When a Man Loves a Woman" began to play, the two were immediately lost in one another's eyes. Completely absorbed in the moment and in one another, the events leading up to their marriage all came to mind. They hugged one another a little more tightly as both were reminded of the risk and the danger that they had recently faced. Life was short; they knew that better than anyone, and had wasted too much time already. This moment was theirs.

The song came to and end and the applause of their family and friends fell on deaf ears as Harm leaned down to kiss her delicately. "Let's get out of here." He smiled.

Holding tightly to her hand, he turned to address the intimate crowd that had gathered for the event. "Everyone, we'd like to thank you for the support that you have given Mac and me for the last several years. Your friendships mean the world to us. There is still plenty of food and drink, and the DJ is here for the evening, so stay and enjoy yourselves." Everyone began to clap, but he raised his hand to continue. "You'll just have to do it without us. If you'll excuse us, my wife and I will be leaving." The smile that covered his face was enormous as Mac actually found herself blushing slightly and hiding her own smile behind his large frame. Shouts and cat calls filled the air followed by a long applause as the couple made their way out of the reception hall.

Once they made it outside, Harm took her by surprise and pulled her behind a large column near the entrance. In a deep and sultry voice, he said, "I thought we'd never get out of there." The words barely escaped his mouth as he pulled her impatiently to him and planted a long and searing kiss on her mouth which she eagerly returned. His look had changed from one of happiness to passion. His eyes, now dark with desire stared deeply in to hers.

"You have no idea how much I love you, Sarah."

Mac was temporarily at a loss for words. The depth of this man's affection was surprising, exhilarating and mind-numbing. She had never pegged him as a romantic, and yet here he was before her, proclaiming his love to her with a look that caused her nerves to tingle as if it were the first time hearing it all over again.

She reached up and gently caressed his lips with her finger before replying, "If it's half as much as I love you, then I get it." They kissed hungrily for another several minutes in complete disregard for their surroundings. When the limousine finally arrived, the kiss was broken.

"That's our ride." He smiled, again taking her hand and leading her away.

"Are you ever going to tell me where we're going?" She smiled with curiosity as she ducked in the backseat.

"Tonight, not very far." He began to loosen the black bow tie on his tux and leaned in for another long kiss. Mac fell backwards on the seat with Harm completely covering her body.

"Let me help you with that." She whispered before assaulting him with kisses of her own.

The make out session continued like two teenagers after prom, barely able to control themselves. When the limmo stopped, Harm rested his forehead on top of hers in an effort to steady his breathing.

"I uh, guess he probably wants us to finish this somewhere else." She breathed.

Harm let out a long sigh. Pulling her upright from beneath him, he picked up his tie from the floor and gathered the two cufflinks that had sprung from his shirt. She smiled as the door was opened and as the driver waited patiently for them to emerge. Once outside, Mac's jaw dropped. "The Four Seasons?" She was stunned. Harm was pleased with himself. He knew that she would love it here. Mac had never been treated like a princess, but that was all about to change.

A few tears of happiness welled up in her eyes as she looked at Harm who stood before her, with his hand outstretched. "Shall we?"

TBC!


	22. Unexpected Ending

Harm woke up with a stiff neck to the sound of someone knocking on his door. He'd laid down on the couch for a quick nap after work and now, two hours later, felt as though he'd been asleep for a year. 

"Harm, are you in there? It's me, Mac." He heard her call through the door. 

_Mac._ He thought to himself. _My wife_. It was too real and still fresh in his mind. Opening the door he found her standing before him in a black, v-neck dress looking slightly confused.

"Are you o.k.?" She asked as she walked in and removed her coat.

"Um, yeah, I guess so." He was looking at her as he had in his sleep, with love, longing and desire.

"Listen, I'm going away for awhile. But I needed to make sure that you're o.k. You've been through a lot lately." She said, still with a puzzled look on her face.

His eyes widened. "Paraguay." 

She was stunned. "How..how did you know?"

"Mac, you're not going."

"What? Harm, what on earth are you talking about?" She stood to meet him and placed the back of her hand on her forehead. "Are you feeling o.k.?" She asked.

He reached up and grabbed her wrist. "I'm fine, Mac." Now his eyes were cloudy with desire. Whatever had just happened to him must have been intense, because she had never seen him look at her this way before. She looked at his hand on her wrist and then back up at him.

Then, without giving it a moment's thought, he leaned in slowly for a kiss. She was confused, but responded fully. His hands moved to her back and pulled her closer until she gasped through the kiss, which he was all too eager to deepen. His hands began exploring the territory on her back as if she were his; she _was_ his. She just didn't know it yet.

Once she pulled away for air, she looked up at him for an answer.

"You and I have a lot of catching up to do." He whispered in her ear before nibbling on her lobe and down to her neck. 

"Harm, I don't—what is this about?" She tingled at his touch but wondered if he was fully aware of his own actions.

"It's about you and me, and not wasting another minute, Sarah Mackenzie." He now stroked her cheek with his hand. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded, completely hypnotized by this man and his actions.

"Then you can save us both a lot of worry by staying here. With me. Forever." He punctuated each statement with a kiss. 

Still confused, but deeply intrigued, she kissed him back fully and more tenderly than before. He loved her. He was trying to say it, and no CIA mission was going to get in the way of that. 


	23. Author Apology

A/N: My warning and apology didn't appear on the last chapter! In my nervousness I forgot to save the changes and of course deleted it as soon as possible. I understand that this was not an ideal ending, believe me. I have avoided this story for a long time now in the hopes that something different would come to mind, but it never did. SO, I'm sorry if it's a huge disappointment. Thank you to all of you for sticking it out! Maybe a re-write or continuance will appear someday….


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